Kihavah impressed at home

Kihavah bids to improve on 2024 second place in the Sky Bet Ebor at York

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed August 20, 2025 · 4M ago

Adrian Keatley revealed Kihavah to be in top form ahead of his bid to improve on last year's second in the Sky Bet Ebor at York on Saturday.

Kihavah is a 25/1 chance with the sponsors for the Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday, a race in which he finished a two and three-quarter length second to Magical Zoe 12 months ago.

Kihavah raced off a mark of 95 in 2024 but the eight-year-old will have to defy 104 this time around having won the Queen's Cup at Musselburgh in April off 101.

A dual-purpose performer, Kihavah has been in good form under both codes, finishing placed behind Rubaud and Sir Gino in the autumn before, again, playing the bridesmaid in the Summer Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen last time and trainer Adrian Keatley believes his charge is in a good place heading into his latest big assignment.

"He's done an awesome bit of work yesterday morning, his last piece prior to Saturday," he told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast.

"It was a hell of a performance the last day in Market Rasen, probably just kicked too soon on him but he lumped around 10 lb more than what he had last year.

"He gave the horse [Cavern Club] that just beat him 17 lb on the day and then he was unlucky not to win at Newmarket prior to that. So, look, his form is rock solid and loves the track so we're really looking forward to it."

The Sky Bet Ebor Festival gets off to a busy start for Keatley with three runners on Wednesday and although all three are relatively unconsidered by the layers, the trainer was far from despondent telling Luck: "The horse in the nursery [Chairmanfourtimes] is a massive price.

"I wouldn't put anyone off keeping an eye on my horses this week."

Kihavah bids to improve on 2024 second place in the Sky Bet Ebor at York

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