In the following month, the colt was moved up in class to contest the Group Three Prix La Rochette over 1600m at Longchamp Racecourse. Ridden by Lester Piggott, he took the lead 400m from the finish and won impressively by three lengths from Le Voleur. On 10 October L'Emigrant was ridden by Cash Asmussen in France's premier race for two-year-olds, the Grand Criterium over 1600m on soft ground at Longchamp. He took the lead in the straight and held off the challenge of Deep Roots (winner of the Prix Morny and Prix de la Salamandre) but was overtaken in the closing stages by Saint Cyrien, and finished second by a length. In late October, L'Emigrant ran in the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte over 1400m in which he was opposed by Crystal Glitters, the Prix Thomas Bryon winner Bal des Fees and three challengers from England. Starting the odds-on favourite he took the lead 300m from the finish and won comfortably by one and a half lengths from Drumalis, who was carrying seven pounds less than the winner. L'Emigrant began his three-year-old season in early April, when he recorded an easy three length win over Ginger Brink in the Prix Djebel over 1400m at Maisons-Laffitte. Later that month he started second favourite behind Saint Cyrien in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over 1600m at Longchamp. Asmussen sent the colt into the lead on the turn ito the straight and he turned back several challengers to win comfortably from Crystal Glitters, Margouzed and the British-trained Sackford, with Saint Cyrien in sixth. L'Emigrant was then aimed at the Prix du Jockey Club and prepared for the race by running in the Group One Prix Lupin over 2100m at Longchamp on 15 May. Starting the 7/10 favourite on extremely heavy ground he won the race, but was not particularly impressive: he took the lead in the straight but appeared to be tiring in the closing stages and had to be ridden out by Asmusen to win narrowly from Lovely Dancer and Pluralisme. In the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400m at Chantilly Racecourse on 5 June, L'Emigrant started joint-favourite with the Irish-trained Caerleon. Asmussen restrained the colt in the early stages before producing him with a late run in the straight, but he was never able to get close enough to mount a serious challenge to Caerleon and was beaten three lengths.