Ouija Board takes Cartier award as Europe's best

Ouija Board, winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf,was named Cartier's European Horse of the Year for the second time at the annual Cartier Racing Awards dinner in London on Wednesday night. Trained by Ed Dunlop for Lord Derby, Ouija Board had earned the same honor two years ago when she took the first of her two Filly and Mare Turf titles.

A 5-year-old daughter of Cape Cross, Ouija Board won the Prince of Wales's Stakes and the Nassau Stakes as well this summer and will run next in the Japan Cup on Nov. 26. She was also named best European older horse.

The Cartier Awards are determined by a combination of group-race results and votes by a media committee and readers of the Racing Post and the Daily Telegraph.

The official European championships, included in the World Thoroughbred Ratings, will be announced in January.

Irish trainer Jim Bolger dominated the juvenile awards as Teofilo, winner of the National Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes, was named leading 2-year-old colt, while Finsceal Beo, the Prix Marcel Boussac winner, took the 2-year-old filly crown. Teofilo is by the hot stallion Galileo, and Finsceal Beo is an Irish-bred daughter of Mr. Greeley.

Mandesha, trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre, nipped Alexandrova for the 3-year-old filly title with victories in three Group 1 events, the one-mile Prix d'Astarte, the 1 1/4-mile Prix de l'Opera, and the 1 1/2-mile Prix Vermeille, all against older fillies and mares.

Aidan O'Brien trainees landed a pair of titles, as George Washington, last year's juvenile champ, won the 3-year-old colt title through victories in the 2000 Guineas and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, while Yeats, the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup winner, was named best stayer.

The Eric Alston-trained Reverence took sprint honors with victories in the Nunthorpe Stakes and the Haydock Park Sprint Cup.