On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Nijinsky won his prep race by beating the 4-year-old Deep Run in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April and was then sent back to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas over one mile. He started the 4/7 favourite against thirteen opponents. Nijinsky took the lead two furlongs from the finish, and without being put under any pressure by Piggott, he pulled clear to win by two and a half lengths from Yellow God.