Ouija Board will be retired at the end of the year
Ouija Board will bid for a second Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf crown in three years when she lines up at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The Ed Dunlop-trained five-year-old won the 2004 race at Lone Star Park and was second to Intercontinental at Belmont Park last year.

She will become the first European horse to appear in the same Breeders' Cup event in three consecutive years.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, she has a favourable low draw from stall two.

The winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, Ouija Board's last outing saw her narrowly beaten by Dylan Thomas in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

But trainer Dunlop is concerned by the heavy rain which fell in Louisville on Wednesday as the horse has produced much of her best form on fast conditions.

This will be the richest-ever Breeders' Cup meeting with the eight-race card worth $20m (£16) in prize money.

Europe's other big hopes in Kentucky include the Jeremy Noseda-trained Araafa, who is well fancied in the Breeders Cup Mile.

BREEDERS' CUP SCHEDULE
All times GMT (Leading European contenders listed)
1730: Juvenile Fillies (Satulagi)
1810: Juvenile
1855: Filly & Mare Turf (Ouija Board)
1935: Sprint
2015: Mile (Ad Valorrem, Echo of Light, Librettist, Rob Roy, Aussie Rules, Araafa, Sleeping Indian)
2055: Distaff
2135: Turf (Scorpion, Hurricane Run, Red Rocks)
2210: Classic (George Washington, David Junior)

Top American jockey John Velazquez takes the ride on the colt who is fresh off a short break and has a good draw three off the rail.

Araafa is one of seven European challengers in the 14-strong field with John Gosden's Sleeping Indian and Godolphin challenger Echo of Light also attracting plenty of interest in what will be a keenly-contested race.

George Washington and David Junior will lead European hopes in the Breeders' Cup Classic but will face a tough task against the red-hot favourite Bernardini.

The colt carries Sheikh Mohammed's colours and has a good spot in stall three with George Washington in stall four and David Junior in stall seven.

Trained by Tom Albertrani and ridden by Javier Castellano junior, Bernardini has won his last six starts, with five of the victories coming by more than five lengths.

"With every race he gets better and stronger," Albertrani said.


George Washington will be racing on the dirt for the first time

"He's an amazing horse. Right now, he's doing as good as he's ever done. This is going to be his most difficult task, but he's up to it."

George Washington, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Michael Kinane, will be running for the first time on dirt and is also untried over the mile and a quarter distance.

But he looked impressive when beating Araafa last time out in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot while David Junior, the mount of Jamie Spencer, won the Coral-Eclipse Stakes in his last run.

Hurricane Run, who finished a disappointing third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last month, will hope for better in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

His owner Michael Tabor believes the horse, trained by Andre Fabre, can make a big impact if things go his way.

"Andre is a special trainer and he tells me the horse is in tip-top form," said Tabor.

"I hope he can put the race to bed on Saturday and if there is any juice in the ground - as well as a good pace - it will give him a much better chance."