Annandale

The horse has found his level in Class 6 company, where he wins at a respectable rate of roughly 1 in 6 races (3 wins from 19). More tellingly, Annandale is a course specialist at Ayr, where he has won 3 of his 12 races there — a win rate of 1 in 4 at that track. That kind of record at a single venue is genuinely interesting; it speaks to something about the horse, the course, or the combination of both that brings out his best. His most recent victory came at Hamilton Park two months ago, suggesting he remains competitive and capable of winning in the here and now.

Paul Mulrennan has been his regular rider, partnering him in 21 races and winning 3 of those (14% together) — a better win rate than the horse's overall record, which hints that they work well as a team. Annandale races for Jim Goldie's yard at Uplawmoor in Lanarkshire, a training establishment that has already sent out 88 winners this season and clearly knows how to place horses to their advantage. Trainer Jim Goldie has noted that Annandale is a horse who battles hard and rises to the occasion when the race shapes up right — a horse who, when things go his way, finds enough in the closing stages to get the job done. His recent form shows a place just yesterday, a fourth three days before that, and a winning effort back in June, which tells the story of a horse still plugging away competently at his level.