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
Petite Etoile Derby winner Parthia. Starting at odds of 1/3 she was restrained by Piggott until the closing stages where she displayed "devastating speed", to accelerate past Parthia, "as if he were a selling plater" and win by one and a half lengths. Following the race, her owners reportedly turned down an offer of £320,000 for the filly from an American source. In the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, Petite Etoile started 2/5 favourite, despite the rain-softened ground. Before the race, Lester Piggott said that he could see no danger to the filly and described her