Anaisa

The numbers tell a mixed story. Across 17 races, Anaisa has won twice and placed five times—a 12 per cent win rate that sits at the lower end for a horse racing regularly at this level. But those wins have come in strong company: one of them at Class 1, which suggests Anaisa has beaten better horses on their day. The horse has also cashed a cheque (finished in the money) in roughly one race in every three, so there's consistency of a sort. Interestingly, Anaisa thrives on normal ground conditions, winning 2 of 8 races when the track is dry—a 25 per cent rate—which is a notable strength to keep in mind.

Trainer Tim Easterby, based at Great Habton in North Yorkshire, has had a prolific season with 128 winners from his yard, and David Allan, Anaisa's usual jockey, has ridden the horse to victory twice from eight races together, a solid 25 per cent record. Yet the partnership hasn't translated into a win during this recent poor run. The question now is whether Anaisa can rediscover the form that produced that Class 1 success at Ripon. After a year without a win, a return to normal ground and a return to the tracks where it has run well before could be exactly what's needed to remind the yard what this horse is capable of.