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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 30, 2004

GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS

Q. All right. We are once again joined in the room by the winning trainer, owner, and jockey, respectively, of Ouija Board, who took the Breeders' Cup Cotillion mare turf. On the left, Edward Dunlop, Lord Derby, and Kieren Fallon. First question I will pose to you, since you were in the middle of it, at least by American standards, we know the horse is somewhat soft, but the (inaudible) snail's pace. As far as you were concerned, was that set up just fine for Ouija Board's style, kind of a European style running the race?

KIEREN FALLON: It did. This filly likes to go at a fast pace. I didn't think it bothered her, the position I had in the race. I didn't have anything to make up. The ground to make up and (inaudible) I knew there wouldn't be much pace in the race. It would be an easy option and she did the rest.

Q. Edward, Ouija Board was far, far back in the yard behind the faster paced power fillies. Today there had to be good news right at the beginning. She broke very nicely, but not all European horses coming here the first time do. Given the fact how slow the pace was, did you feel Kieren had precisely the right spot?

EDWARD DUNLOP: Luck of the draw, being drawn wide, and Kieren gave her a fantastic ride. We enjoyed watching him and she did great.

Q. Lord Derby, congratulations. Review for us, if you would, the decision to run her in the mare turf rather than the 2 million John Deere turf.

LORD DERBY: I think it comes down to the fact talking with Kieren right back in the beginning, we said it is a 3-year-old campaign, we try to stick to our age and sex and later on in the season the horses -- there were thunderstorms around, a mile and a half would be stretching her, and just maybe taking her off the grass, softer would help (inaudible).

Q. Sometimes we here in America are a little slow to pick up on the top European horses, but Ouija Board was a horse -- word of her was coming early in the year with her dual Oaks victories. Edward, at what point did you know just how fantastic a filly you had on your hands?

EDWARD DUNLOP: When she won the Oaks. When she won the Oaks it showed she was a champion. How lucky we are, but that's the story of the race. Today makes up for it. I am very lucky to have a staff doing a fantastic job. I am looking forward to training her for next year.

Q. Part of coming to the Breeders' Cup is all the media scrutiny and speculation, strategy, pros and cons. Speightstown wasn't training as well lately, and he sure ran well. Ouija Board may not like it soft. Were you as confident or almost as confident with her, given the turf?

EDWARD DUNLOP: By giving the 2-year-old (inaudible) it was hard to assess her. We avoided the (inaudible) because it was very soft. We had mixed reports here and asked before the race, and some said good, some said soft, so we didn't know about the ground. There are more options for next year.

Q. Kieren, what about not only the tighter-turned size of the American track at Lone Star Park, was there anything that gave you the slightest pause during the race?

KIEREN FALLON: No, I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time in America and I have had the last (inaudible) as much as I have, and watched a lot of races, I didn't think it was a problem with this filly.

Q. Any questions for our winning Ouija Board in the room? Well done. Fantastic occasion for everybody. You are talking about a 4-year-old campaign. What sort of races are you going to look at and when do you think the campaign will start?

EDWARD DUNLOP: I can't really answer that question. You know me, today there are other options as yet. She has been nominated for (inaudible) and she probably will do that. It is an option still. Next year there are races, the Breeders' Cup -- Triple Crown. There are lots of races. Ask the owner.

Q. For the benefit of Americans like myself, what is the Summer Triple Crown?

EDWARD DUNLOP: There is the answer. It is the traditional Triple Crown, being able to win over a mile, the derby (inaudible) and venture over a mile and three quarters. I think it is probably completely undoable now. So the concept of the Triple Crown and looking at a range of races that happen across June through August and the final leg of that is the (inaudible) International, King George and the Coronation.

Q. Michael Halston said that part of his decision to run Azeri in the Classic rather than in the Distaff was quite simply she had already won the Distaff before and it's always fun to scale another mountain. Given Ouija Board's win today, given her fine race in the arc, third-place finish, is it half-way decent bet that we are likely to see her if she stays healthy and sound in the arc again for a return go, and then possibly against the boys in the John Deere Turf at Belmont Park next year?

EDWARD DUNLOP: It's a long way off. She is looking fantastic now. There is every reason to think and hope that she will train on and come back next year, but it's always an unknown with fillies. If she comes back as good as we all keep our fingers crossed, we hope she will because all this team -- I have particular respect for (inaudible), she has done an amazing job, she spends hours and hours tending to her. We have lots of hope for next year. That being the case, you can imagine in the arc, statistically the arc is (inaudible) so we were lucky this year, the ground was in our favor. The one thing we never thought is Texas might have some ground or the (inaudible) would be bottomless ground. We have to see what the weather and the (inaudible) bring.

Q. Not to put you on the spot with Derby sitting right next to you, but where does Ouija Board fit in among some of the great Thoroughbreds you have ridden in your career?

KIEREN FALLON: The time I was on her this spring, I said she (inaudible) and this filly is going to be quite possibly (inaudible).

Q. Does that term you referred to make her perhaps uniquely qualified for success in America?

KIEREN FALLON: Yes, for sure.

Q. Anything else for Ouija Board? Mr. Dunlap, Lord Derby, Mr. Fallon, thank you very much and congratulations on your win -- very exciting to be here.

End of FastScripts...

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