Admetus was a chestnut horse with a white sock on his left hind leg bred in France by the Ballymacoll Stud, the County Meath-based breeding operation of his owner Michael Sobell.
On his next appearance he contested the valuable William Hill Trophy, a handicap race over one mile at Sandown Park Racecourse and won by three quarters of a length from Old Lucky, to whom he was conceding thirteen pounds.
On 11 May the gelding recorded his first Group race win when he carried top weight to victory in Grand Prix d'Evry over 2400 metres, beating the favourite Luenge by two lengths with On My Way in third.
He was last of the thirteen runners entering the straight but then produced an impressive burst of acceleration to take the lead in the closing stages and win by three quarters of a lengths from the Preis von Europa winner Acacio d'Aguilar with Ashmore in third.
Admetus started favourite for the Prix Gontaut-Biron over 2000 metres at Deauville Racecourse a month later, but failed to reproduce his best form and finished fourth behind the British-trained colt Ksar.
Eleven days later he passed the post a neck in front of Ashmore in the Grand Prix de Deauville, but was relegated to second after the racecourse stewards found that Philipperon had struck the runner-up on the head with his whip in the closing stages.
On 9 November Dahlia, ridden by Lester Piggott, started the odds-on favourite for the International ahead of Big Spruce and Desert Vixen, with Admetus being made a 31/1 outsider.
Desert Vixen was sent into the lead by Ron Turcotte, and set a slow pace before accelerating in the back straight, and reached the final turn with a clear advantage over Golden Don, Margouillat and Admetus.
[6] After the race Philipperon said that the winner "showed good spirit and did everything right" whilst Dahlia's rider Lester Piggott said "Admetus is a great horse... we were beaten by real class".