RACE 5: Who can stop Ouija Board?

Dubai: Trainer Edward Dunlop's champion mare Ouija Board and the Kojiro Hashiguchi-trained Heart's Cry are the fancied duo in the $5million Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1) which tonight becomes the joint-richest turf race along with the Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) to be run 40 minutes later.

Ouija Board will be starting off as the hot favourite to win 12-furlong contest and with Kieren Fallon on board can add to her globe-trotting feat. Having won in three continents, Ouija Board will be the one to beat in a field that does have a few other strong contenders.

The Japanese hope Heart's Cry bounced back from a close defeat to Alkaased in November with a half-length win over Deep Impact in the Arima Kinen Grand Prix, the latter tasting defeat for the first time.

Both Ouija Board and Heart's Cry have travelled well and worked smartly and could reduce this Nakheel-sponsored race to a two horse race.

However the horse to watch in this race is Relaxed Gesture, the five-year-old son of Indian Ridge who won the $2 million Canadian International.

What makes that win in October all the more relevant now is that tonight's Dubai World Cup favourite Electrocutionist finished fourth before being moved to third after Grey Swallow was disqualified to 4th.

The Christophe Clement-trained Relaxed Gesture has an impressive record of four wins and five seconds and a two thirds in his 11 starts.

The trainer would be looking to Cora Nakatani to ride Gesture in a similar fashion like he did in the Canadian International patient in the early going and then to make a strong run towards the end of the 2400-metre contest.

Jim Bolgner's Alexander Goldrun also comes in with a handsome reputation.

The five-year-old bay daughter of Gold Away has won four Group 1 races, her last in July last year.

The only worry for Bolgner will be the distance, which is a couple of furlongs more than what his mare is used too.

Oracle West from Mike De Kock's yard has won all his three starts here including a Group 3 race.

De Kock also has Greys Inn and Falstaff in the fray with his first jockey Weichong Marwing opting for the former.

"The race is expected to be highly competitive, and all three of my runners have had good preps. The blinkers remain on Falstaff with the intention of getting him to take more interest early in the race.

Good tes"He has an exceptional turn of foot and if the pace is on, it will be no surprise to see him finish in the money," De Kock said.

"Oracle West has very, very good form and in himself, is the best I've had him.

"He has improved 21lbs in three starts and is a big runner on the night. He just gets better and better and Saturday night will be a good test of whether he is of international Group 1 class.

Weichong chose to ride Grey's Inn and he does have the class to win this race," the South African said.

Local hopes centre around Mustanfar, a five-year-old by Unbridled returning from a lengthy vacation. "He's running better than ever and he looks better than ever," said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Norse Dancer's trainer David Elsworth was a relieved man after his horse looked ready for the battle after an injury scare.

Still looking for a Group 1 win for his runner, Elsworth said "We found he was a little bit sore in the middle of his off-fore and removed the shoe last night," he said on Thursday.

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