Arctique Royale

On her racecourse debut Arctique Royale started favourite for a maiden race over five furlongs at the Curragh Racecourse in May and won by two and a half lengths from Hear A Rhapsody after drawing clear of her ten opponents in the closing stages. Paddy Prendergast died in June and for the rest of the year the filly was owned by the executors of his estate. After a three-month break the filly returned in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (the a Group Two race over six furlongs) at the Curragh in August. Starting the 5/4 favourite she accelerated in the final furlong and won by a length from Lady Tiffany with the early leader Lady Nightingale three quarters of a length back in third place. Kevin Prendergast did not run the filly again that year, stating that she needed more time to mature.[4]

Before the start of the 1982 season Arctique Royale was bought privately by the French owner Jean-Pierre Binet.[2]

The filly began her second campaign in the Athasi Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh in April and sustained her first defeat as she finished fourth behind Martinova, Overplay and Castlemaine. On 23 May, ridden by Gabriel Curran, she was one of fifteen three-year-old fillies to contest the Irish 1000 Guineas over one mile on heavy ground at the Curragh. Martinova started favourite ahead of Blue Wind with Arctique Royale the 7/1 joint third choice in the betting alongside the British-trained Star Pastures. In the last quarter mile the race devolved into a prolonged struggle between Arctique Royale and Blue Wind, with the Prendergast filly prevailing by a short head after a "fierce duel".[2] Her win gave "Squibs" Curran his second and final Irish Classic after Nebbiolo in the 1977 Irish 2000 Guineas.[5]

Arctique Royale ran four more times before the end of the season without recovering her Classic winning form. At the Curragh in late June she was stepped up in distance for the Pretty Polly Stakes over ten furlongs but was beaten three lengths into second place by Happy Bride, a filly who had finished fifth in the Guineas. It was later reported that she had come into season shortly before the race. In the Irish Oaks on 18 July she started the 7/2 second favourite but never looked likely to win and finished sixth of the ten runners behind Blue Wind. After a two-month break she returned to the track and was matched against male opposition in the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse. She started a 16/1 outsider and finished sixth behind her owner's more fancied runner Kings Lake. On her final run she was sent to France and finished unplaced in the Prix de l'Opéra at Longchamp Racecourse in October.[2]