MICHAEL JARVIS has paid tribute to his Vodafone Oaks winner Eswarah after a knee injury forced the filly's retirement.

Jarvis' charge was last seen in action when a disappointing fourth behind Punctilious in the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting.

Subsequent X-rays revealed a small chip in a knee, forcing owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum to retire the daughter of Unfuwain to stud.

"When she hung violently in the Yorkshire Oaks she obviously wasn't sound so we investigated and she's chipped a knee," said Jarvis.

"She was a filly who was always needing soft ground and obviously something went wrong in the Yorkshire Oaks.

"Obviously it's disappointing because I felt she never really fulfilled the best we could have had from a lovely filly."

Eswarah provided Jarvis with his first Oaks success and he was quick to hail the filly as the best staying performer he has handled.

"She gave us a great day at Epsom. She was never better than she was that day and that was the day that mattered," he added.

* Ouija Board will miss Saturday's Group Three 32Red.com September Stakes at Newmarket after returning an unsatisfactory scope.

The four-year-old was set to return in the mile-and-a-half contest after a spell off the track through injury, but a late setback has forced trainer Ed Dunlop to rule her out.

He told www.edunlop.com: "Ouija Board does not run on Saturday.

"She gave a couple of coughs after working yesterday. We had her scoped and unfortunately it was not perfect."

Ouija Board, winner of both the English and Irish Oaks last season as well as the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, has been off the track since disappointing on her seasonal debut at the Royal meeting.

She finished seventh behind Azamour that day but returned home with a small stress fracture to her near-fore cannonbone.

* Gift Horse has come in for strong support after it was confirmed Kieren Fallon will ride the gelding in Saturday's William Hill Sprint Cup.

The Jeremy Noseda-trained Proclamation remains a short-priced favourite, but Fallon believes the market leader is by no means "home and hosed".

Fallon is keen on his chances of glory in the six-furlong contest but believes Proclamation has come into his own now and deserves his place at the head of the market.

* Tomorrow's racing is at Chepstow, Haydock and