War Artist goes to France

War Artist leaves Eustace to be trained in France

WAR ARTIST, a Group winner in three different countries since he moved to Britain from South Africa, has left James Eustace's stable to be trained in France.

Despite a rewarding spell in Dubai, which yielded a Group 3 victory and fourth place in last weekend's Al Quoz Sprint, the sprinter's German owner Rupert Plersch has removed the horse from Newmarket, as well as his other three horses he had stabled with Eustace.

War Artist returned from Dubai only on Monday, but left Newmarket on Friday along with all-weather winner Winter Fever and two two-year-olds who will be joining Alan McCabe.

Plersch's racing manager Paul Harley would not comment on the moves, nor reveal the identity of War Artist's new trainer.


Eustace said on his website: "We have had a marvellous journey with War Artist, and have been to places we would never have been without him. My only regret is that he failed to win a Group 1 in Europe, but I think he showed that he is quite capable of doing so.

"It is sad that the adventure is over for the moment but we will now look to find the next War Artist."

War Artist had won a Grade 1 in South Africa before he came to Britain in 2008 to join Eustace, who trained him to finish second in the Golden Jubilee Stakes and third in the Darley July Cup.

He was then off the track for a year while he recovered from a serious attack of colic and was bought by Plersch, for whom he won the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden, the Group 3 Prix de Petit Couvert and wasthird in the Prix de l'Abbaye, before spending the winter in Dubai.