World tour for War Artist

James Eustace is readying War Artist for a winter in warmer climes with the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint and the Golden Shaheen in Dubai on World Cup night both on the agenda.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club extended an invite to the six-year-old following his Group-race wins in Germany and France this autumn, and the December 13 dash is marked on Eustace’s calendar.

The trainer reports his stable star to be thriving since his staying-on third in the Prix de l’Abbaye in Paris earlier this month, where he was just three-quarters of a length adrift of winner Total Gallery.

Newmarket trainer Eustace said: “He has come out of the Abbaye in really good form, and the plan is still to take him to Hong Kong.

“He is in great form at the moment, and so long as he remains that way for the next two months then he will go.

“He ran a blinder in the Abbaye and finished his race really well.

“If he goes to Hong Kong then we will probably skip the Dubai Carnival itself and go straight to the sprint on World Cup night.”