on 17 june, ardross started 1/5 favourite for his attempt to win a second ascot gold cup. his only opponents were the french-trained horses el badr and tipperary fixer, first and second in the prix du cadran, the irish six-year-old noelino and the swedish-trained dzudo, making up the smallest field for the race in sixty years. piggott settled the favourite in fourth place as dzudo made the pace from el badr and noelino. noelino took the lead on the final turn, but ardross moved up quickly on the inside to take the lead two furlongs from the finish and won by three lengths and a neck from tipperary fixer and el badr. it was a fourth successive win in the race for henry cecil and an eleventh for piggott. ardross was dropped back in distance for the princess of wales's stakes at newmarket in july. carrying top weight on firm ground, he finished third behind height of fashion and amyndas. he missed the king george vi and queen elizabeth dianond stakes before returning to form with comfortable wins in the geoffrey freer stakes and the doncaster cup.in the autumn he ran second in his last try, and final race ever, at winning the prix de l'arc de triomphe where he was narrowly beaten a head by the french filly akiyda.