Star Witness fails in July Cup

LONDON, July 9 AAP - The hotly-tipped Star Witness has failed to place in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, again dashing hopes of a win for the Australian colt on UK soil before retirement.

The Danny O'Brien-trained four-year-old jumped for Saturday's race as 4-1 favourite but failed to pose a threat among the field of 17 in the group one race over 1200 metres.

Newmarket-trained Dream Ahead won the historic cup, followed by Bated Breath and Irish entry Hitchens.

For Steven Arnold, who narrowly missed wins on Star Witness in the King's Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes on a heavy track at Ascot last month, Saturday's conditions were welcomed.

"The ground is good today so it shouldn't be such a test here as it was at Ascot," Arnold told Britain's Channel 4 Racing before Saturday's start.

"It just nullified his turn of foot at Royal Ascot so hopefully on the better ground we can use that today."

But Arnold's plan to "crack in the last furlong" didn't eventuate.

A dual group one winner Down Under, Star Witness is due to return to Australia and retire to the Widden Stud.