Annaf

What makes Annaf's story compelling is how much he seems to love a particular set of conditions. On wet or muddy ground he has won 2 from 3 races — a remarkable two-thirds hit rate. On standard ground it's 3 wins from 9, and even on the slowest surfaces he's won 2 of 5. He clearly doesn't mind getting his hooves dirty. Lingfield Park has become something of a home away from home too, with 2 wins from just 4 visits, including a top-level win on the all-weather surface there in February 2023. His trainer Michael Appleby, whose yard at Oakham has sent out 71 winners this season alone, has spoken about how Annaf genuinely improved with age, thriving on the all-weather tracks through the winter before stepping up to win on turf at the highest level.

The jockey partnership with Rossa Ryan is worth highlighting. In 12 races together they have won 5 times — that's winning 42% of the time, or nearly 1 in every 2-and-a-half rides. That is an extraordinary number at this level, where even the best combinations win far less often. Appleby has been refreshingly candid about what Ryan brings, saying after one big international success that it was "all down to Rossa."

Annaf's biggest wins have come at Ascot — Britain's most prestigious flat racing venue — in October 2023 and again in October 2025, suggesting there may be something almost seasonal about when he peaks. He hasn't won in his last six races, and his most recent form figures make for modest reading. But the trainer has spoken openly about freshening him up and getting him back to where he belongs, and his last win came just nine months ago at the top level. For a horse that Appleby once suggested could head to Saudi Arabia and possibly Japan, the adventure may not be over yet.