Kihavah

The most recent of those wins came at Musselburgh in April 2025 — a track where Kihavah has won 2 of just 3 races, which is the kind of record that makes bookmakers nervous. Jockey PJ McDonald, who rode him that day, was effusive afterwards, describing him as "an absolute legend" and saying horses like Kihavah "don't come around that often." That is not the sort of thing jockeys say about every horse they ride. There is clearly genuine affection for this animal around the team.

What makes him particularly interesting is the way Keatley manages him. The trainer has described backing off him deliberately — giving him a rest to target the Summer Hurdle and the Ebor at York, one of the most prestigious Flat races in the British calendar. Kihavah finished second in the Ebor the previous year and carried a 10lb higher weight this time, yet still ran well enough to give the winner 17lb. That is not a horse going backwards. Keatley has been careful with his wind too — surgical interventions that the trainer says have helped — and calls him "a warrior," which feels earned rather than throwaway.

His sweet spot is a distance of a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs, where he has won 3 of 8 races — nearly 1 in every 3. He handles both slightly soft, wetter ground and fast dry ground well, which makes him a versatile proposition through different seasons. His most recent six runs have not produced a win, but the yard's explanation — building him towards the Ebor — gives that sequence a different shape. Ryan Sexton, who partners him most often, has won 1 of their 5 races together. With 40 winners already this season, Keatley's yard is in fine form, and Kihavah looks likely to add to that tally before long.