Kahavari

That breakthrough came at Sandown Park on 25 April 2026 — just this week — giving Kahavari his first career win and, as it turns out, the first he has managed at Class 4 level after six attempts at that grade without getting off the mark. Sandown is one of the more testing tracks in the country, a course that sorts out horses with real quality from those just filling a field. Winning there, even at this level, is something worth noting.

The yard behind him — Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, operating out of Oldcastle in Cheshire — has had a productive season, sending out 43 winners, which tells you this is a training operation that knows how to get horses ready to win. Back in November, one of the trainers spoke warmly about Kahavari, describing him as a horse who arrived from France and immediately showed he belonged, finishing second twice in his first season over here. French imports can take time to settle into British racing, so running that well straight away was a genuine signal. There was also an incident at Bangor where he was travelling strongly before an untimely unseating — one of those frustrating non-events that riders and trainers simply have to absorb.

His regular jockey, Craig Nichol, has partnered him six times without a win between them, so it is worth watching whether that combination continues now the ice has been broken, or whether the team look to make a change and chase something bigger. At six years old, Kahavari is entering what should be the prime of his career, and with his recent consistency — five top-two finishes in six races — there is a real sense that one win will not be the end of the story.