On his three-year-old debut he won the 1600m Prix Daphnis at Le Tremblay, after which he was identified as Boussac's main Derby contender, and was then moved up to the highest class for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp on 14 May.
The Derby was run in fine weather ten days later at Epsom Downs Racecourse.