according to press reports, gubbins turned down an offer of 20,000 guineas for his colt from an unnamed source. as a three-year-old, ard patrick was slow to reach peak fitness. in the 2000 guineas at newmarket on 30 april he was ridden by kempton cannon and started at odds of 9/2 in a field of fourteen runners behind the joint favourites sceptre and duke of westminster. sceptre won the race in a record time of 1:39.0, beating pistol by two lengths with ard patrick a further three lengths further back in third. he then finished second in a three-year-old plate over one mile at kempton in which he attempted to conceded twenty-two pounds to royal ivy and was beaten two lengths. on his final start before the derby, ard patrick finished first in the newmarket stakes on 14 may, beating fowling piece by a head, but was disqualified for "bumping and boring" and relegated to third place behind fowling piece and royal lancer. he had looked likely to win easily before struggling and drifting from a straight course in the last fifty yards, leading some to question the colt's attitude.