Animato

The most recent win came at Chester in May 2024, over a mile and three furlongs on fast, dry ground — and that combination is worth remembering. On dry ground specifically, Animato has won 2 of its 10 races, a 20% win rate that puts it in a completely different gear compared to its overall record. At a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs, it has also won 2 from 11 attempts — roughly 1 in every 5 or 6 races at that trip. When conditions align, this horse is a genuine contender at its level.

That level is typically Class 5, the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, where Animato has won 2 of 22 races. It has not won in its last six outings, with recent finishes of seventh, a couple of runs without a placing, and then a fifth and third in more recent starts — signs that form is ticking upward again. The horse raced just yesterday, which speaks to a yard happy to keep it busy and active.

Donald McCain's operation in Cheshire has sent out 55 winners this season, so this is a functioning, productive yard rather than a quiet backwater. Regular partner Daniel Tudhope has ridden Animato in 10 races together, winning once — a 10% win rate that broadly reflects where the horse sits. It is not a star, but it is a professional, and in a sport full of horses that disappear quietly, still being competitive at 50 career races and racing yesterday is its own kind of achievement.