Nashwan was an American race horse that was shipped to the other side of the world to dazzle fans with his relentless potential and aggressive pursuit for victories at the tracks. This powerful chestnut showed promise early in life while growing up at a farm in Kentucky, and his stature alone was known to set other horses’ tails wiggling with nerves. When he was transported to Britain, owner Hamdan Al Maktoum knew that the tide was about to turn. In England, Nashwan was trained by Major Dick Hern for all his races, with Willie Carson riding the saddles for the entirety of the horse’s career.
Career
In 1988 at the start of his two-year-old season, there was a buzz surrounding the horse’s pedigree. A lot of people expected to see him strut his stuff out there, and he sure did. In the first two races of his fledgling career, Nashwan managed to show power and grace despite his size. His three-year-old spell started off in a tantalizing manner, when he grabbed the General Accident 2000 Guineas. Afterwards, it became evident that he was a top horse that thrived o victories and never needed a whip to hit the ground running. Some of his best moments include the Epsom Derby, which he claimed in 1989 as well as the Eclipse Stakes in the same year. At 3 years old, Nashwan was rated as the best British-trained stallion of 1989. He was always a joy to watch because of the grace he projected and indeed, Joy was his name, only that he was named in Arabic.
Nashwan was retired in 1989, upon where he became a highly successful sire, with winners in his wake. He had participated in 7 races. At the time of retirement, he had accumulated £793,248 in winnings. The stallion passed on in 2002 after undergoing a foot surgery.