TOP sprinter Starman will return to action in next week’s July Cup.
The Ed Walker-trained four-year-old was the red-hot favourite for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this month.
But he was scratched from the big race after torrential rain turned the going from Good to Firm to Heavy in less than 24 hours.
Lambourn-based Walker was forced to adopt Plan B after the weather scuppered his big target.
The horse will now tackle the Group 1 July Cup on July 10, meaning a clash with defending champ Oxted and subsequent Diamond Jubilee winner Dream Of Dreams is on the cards.
Starman was a ready winner of the Duke Of York Stakes on his only run of the season so far.
And Walker is keeping his fingers crossed that ground conditions remain in his favour next week.
He said: “He’s on track for the July Cup. He’s in good nick and he’ll work on Wednesday.
“I think we’ll be all right with the ground. Newmarket was very quick last week and they tend not to get much of the rain.
“I’d be very surprised if it’s any softer than it was when he won at York.
“We’d be seriously unlucky if we had to rethink again. It would be hard to rethink again as he hasn’t got many options. I’m sure it will be fine.”
He added: “We never thought he’d be this good as he was so big at two, we couldn’t do a lot with him and Covid pushed his start back last year.
“He’s done nothing wrong since then other than on bottomless ground in the Champions Sprint at Ascot.”
Oxted currently heads the betting at 9-2 with Betway for the £450,000 July Cup.
He won the race 12 months ago and bounced back to form in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot last time out.
Starman is next in at 5-1 alongside Dream Of Dreams, with three-year-old Dragon Symbol an 11-2 shot.
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