In the spring of 2003 he showed improved form, taking the European Free Handicap and coming back after an unlucky run in the 2000 Guineas to win the Irish equivalent.
Indian Haven was a chestnut horse with a white blaze standing 16.3 hands high[2] bred in England by the late Louis Freedman's Cliveden Stud in Berkshire.
[7] Indian Haven's dam Madame Dubois was a successful racemare who excelled over long distances, winning the Park Hill Stakes and the Prix de Royallieu as a three-year-old in 1990.
[13] In December 2004, Indian Haven's trainer Paul D'Arcy was awarded "a substantial sum in damages" after suing the Evening Star for publishing allegations that he had "stopped" the horse in the Dewhurst, and unlawfully manipulated the subsequent sale.
On his 2003 debut the colt was assigned a weight of 125 pounds in the Listed European Free Handicap over seven furlongs at Newmarket on 16 April and started the 9/2 third favourite in a six-runner field.
After pulling hard in the early stages he was sent to the front by Egan a furlong out and kept on well to win by two and a half lengths from the Norfolk Stakes winner Barons Pit.
[16] In the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on 3 May Indian Haven started a 20/1 outsider but was repeatedly blocked as he attempted to obtain a clear run and finished unplaced behind Refuse To Bend.
[citation needed] Three weeks after his run at Newmarket Indian Haven was sent to Ireland for the Irish 2,000 Guineas over one mile on soft ground at the Curragh.
The colt began his third season by finishing fifth to Hurricane Alan in the Sandown Mile in April and then ran unplaced behind Russian Rhythm in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on 15 May.
He was then dropped in class and distance for the Prix du Palais-Royal over 1400 metres at Longchamp Racecourse thirteen days later and finished sixth of the ten runners behind Puppeteer.