Advantage Ouija Board Former European champion Ouija Board and Viva Pataca, the easy winner of Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby last month, are sure to dominate the betting for the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup this weekend and it was perhaps significant that a slight advantage was granted the British mare at the barrier draw on Thursday lunchtime. Robin Trevor-Jones, travelling head lad to Ed Dunlop drew gate 8 for Ouija Board while Viva Pataca was allocated the trickier next-to-outside barrier of 12. 'Frankie [Dettori, jockey] should be able to go where we wants from there so we´ve got to be happy with that,' Trevor-Jones said. Should the five-year-old mare win on Sunday, connections will collect a HK$1 million (GBP 70,000) bonus for adding the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup to victory in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase - a payday of HK$9 million (GBP 648,000). South African trainer Mike de Kock runs both Falstaff and Irridescence and was nonplussed with their respective gates 11 and 6. 'If the pace is slow that won´t bother us. If it´s fast, same thing - they can both sit handy or come from behind,' he said. Previous race patterns of the 13 runners suggest a lack of speed in Sunday´s race. While no front-runner is readily apparent, trainer Derek Cruz hinted that he might make the most of Green Treasure from stall four. 'If he can stretch them out properly that will give him a better chance of being in the finish,' said Cruz. Laverock, the French hopeful from the stable of Carlos Laffon-Parias, will race from the inside berth, an alley that slightly disappointed the trainer´s assistant, Stephane Dupery. 'I would have preferred a middle position so he can have some light but I guess it´s better than 13,' he said. Norse Dancer ended up with gate 9. Interestingly, Hong Kong´s perennial champion jockey Douglas Whyte did English trainer David Elsworth a favour by partnering the six-year-old in a turf gallop earlier in the day and later remarked: 'He worked really well, I was impressed. If he races like he works he´ll be in the first three.'
