War enters July Cup shake-up

War Artist will belatedly start his season in either the July Cup or the Hackwood Stakes after rain postponed his reappearance on Saturday.

James Eustace’s stable star was due to run in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle but a surprising amount of rain hit Gosforth Park on Friday, turning the ground soft.

He will now be either plunged in at the deep end at Newmarket on July 10 or run at Newbury eight days later in the Group Three Hackwood Stakes.

“He’s in the July Cup, and we are giving that consideration, but Plan B is the Hackwood,” said Eustace.

“The owner has been very good, in that he has been very patient, so he will have a big say.

“But the July Cup, in the same way the Golden Jubilee did, looks very tough.

“Our middle-term aim is to go to Baden-Baden at the end of August for the Golden Pietsche.

“The owner is German and, for obvious reasons, he’d like to go there.

“If we went to Newbury that would fit in very well with Baden-Baden but, on the other hand, we may just decide to go for the July Cup as it is just down the road – especially if the ground was right.

“However, I’d be very, very frightened of the horse that won the King’s Stand, Scenic Blast, as the turn of foot he showed was quite astonishing.

“We are thinking of the overseas races too, the Hong Kong Sprint in December might be the best bet.”