Saoire

Saoire made her racecourse debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Limerick Racecourse on 22 July in which she started at odds of 7/1 and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length by the favourite Showbiz. In a similar event at Leopardstown on 15 August she started the 11/2 second choice behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Mona Lisa in an eighteen-runner field. Ridden by Fran Berry, she raced in mid-division early on, made steady progress in the straight and caught the favourite in the final strides to win by a short head.[10] The filly was then stepped up sharply in class for the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and finished strongly to take third place behind Chelsea Rose and Pictavia. Saoire ended her season in the C L Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh on 2 October. Starting the 100/30 third favourite she stayed on in the closing stages to finish second to Jazz Princess with Virginia Waters in third.

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Saoire was sent to England for the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 1 May in which she was ridden by Jamie Spencer and started at odds of 16/1. After being restrained by Spencer in the early stages she stayed on in the last quarter mile and finished sixth of the twenty runners behind Virginia Waters, Maids Causeway, Vista Bella, Karen's Caper and Cape Columbine. Crowley subsequently stated that the filly had become upset on the flight from Ireland.[6]

Three weeks after her run at Newmarket Saoire was one of eighteen fillies to contest the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh, with Mick Kinane taking the ride. Virginia Waters started favourite ahead of Maids Causeway and the British challenger Damson (Queen Mary Stakes, Phoenix Stakes) with Saoire the 10/1 fourth choice in the betting. The other runners included Jazz Princess, Mona Lisa, Titian Time (runner-up in the Prix Marcel Boussac) and Penkenna Princess (Fred Darling Stakes). The outsider Sanserif set the pace with Saoire settled just behind the leaders before moving into contention in the last quarter mile. Kinane sent Saoire to the front a furlong out an she held on in a "blanket finish" to win by a short head and half a length from Penkenna Princess and Luas Line with the first ten fillies home finishing within three lengths of the winner.[11] Crowley became the first woman to officially train a winner of an Irish Classic: Toby Wellesley had trained the winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas in 1948 but did not receive credit as women were not allowed to hold training licenses at that time, and the license was instead held by her male assistant.[6] After the race Kinane said "We were right up there from the start and she never dropped out of the first three or four. knew the others were coming to me but she picked up really well" while Crowley commented "I was watching from a little way down the track from the winning post and I thought we were second. It's fantastic to win a Classic. I made history a few years ago when I was the first woman to win the Irish amateur riders' title and it is great to do it again".[12]

Saoire was moved up in distance and matched against older fillies and mares for the first time in the Pretty Polly Stakes over ten furlongs at the Curragh on 25 June but she made little impact and finished eighth of the ten runners behind the four-year-old Alexander Goldrun. Despite her poor run in the Pretty Polly she was stepped up in distance again for the Irish Oaks over one and a half miles at the same track on 17 July. After reaching fifth place approaching the final turn she could make no progress in the straight and finished sixth behind the French-trained Shawanda. On her final racecourse appearance Saoire contested the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on 10 September. After racing in second place she appeared to be outpaced in the straight and finished fifth to Attraction.[13]