Annaf is now ready to make his return to Haydock

Saudi sprint champion Annaf narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation during a trip to Dubai earlier this year, but he is now ready to make his return in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes on Saturday.

While Mick Appleby’s stable might be dominated by the headlines surrounding Big Evs, Annaf’s impressive achievements are hard to overlook. He capped off a successful 2023 season with victories in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster and the Group Three Bengough Stakes at Ascot.

His career seemed to reach new heights with a win in the $2 million Saudi National Bank 1351 Turf Sprint. However, disaster struck during his trip to Dubai to contest the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night. The five-year-old developed pneumonia on the flight, which briefly put his life at risk and has since led to a prolonged recovery period.

Despite the setback, Annaf is now poised to regain his previous form. Although his comeback will be challenging, his trainer feels this race is appropriate for the son of Muhaarar.

Appleby commented: "He’s overcome his health issues and seems to be in good condition. He might need the run, but he’s as well as we can have him right now. Hopefully, he performs well at Haydock. He developed pneumonia during the long flight to Dubai, and it got quite severe. There was a time when it was uncertain if he would pull through. Fortunately, he has made a full recovery and is in good shape now. No matter what happens on Saturday, he will improve from the run, and this seems to be his level at the moment, so it’s worth giving it a shot. The key is that he returns in good health."

Annaf is currently priced at around 16-1 for the six-furlong Group One event, including with Betfair, the race’s sponsor. Kevin Ryan’s Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin leads the betting, followed by Karl Burke’s Elite Status.