Teenoso third favourite for the Lingfield Derby Trial in May. He took the lead five furlongs from the finish and stayed on well to win by three lengths from Shearwalk. When Lester Piggott, who had won the race eight times previously, elected to ride Teenoso in the Derby, the colt was strongly supported in the betting and started 9/2 favourite in a field of twenty-one runners. Racing on the heaviest ground seen at Epsom for many years, Teenoso was among the leaders from the start. Piggott sent the colt into the lead early in the straight and he was never in
Shaamit of 20/1 and showed some inexperience ("ran green") in finishing fourth of the twenty runners. On 4 November, he reappeared in another maiden race over one mile at Doncaster and started 13/8 favourite in a field of twenty-three. He took the lead a furlong from the finish and won by three and a half lengths. Shaamit was not among the original entries for the 1996 Epsom Derby. In April, Haggas's father-in-law Lester Piggott rode the colt in an exercise gallop and described the colt as "marvellous" and a potential Derby winner. As a result, Shaamit was added to the Derby