He returned from Injury problems to record his most important success when he defeated Sceptre and the Derby winner Rock Sand in the 1903 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse.

At the end of the season Ard Patrick was being offered by the bookmakers at odds of 7/1 for the following year's Derby, the other leading fancies being Duke of Westminster (the horse, not the owner) and William Collins Whitney's American import Nasturtium.

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.

[13] At Epsom Downs Racecourse on 4 June, Ard Patrick was ridden by the American jockey John "Skeets" Martin and started at odds of 100/14 for the Derby in a field of eighteen runners.

Sceptre who had also won the 1000 Guineas started evens favourite, having been the subject of an unprecedented gamble which saw her backed to win over half a million pounds.

In the straight Ard Patrick pulled clear and won easily by three lengths from Rising Glass, with Friar Tuck third and Sceptre fourth.

At Royal Ascot on 17 June he started 11/10 favourite for the thirteen furlong Prince of Wales's Stakes in which he was required to concede weight to seven opponents.

The Duke of Westminster's Cupbearer, who was receiving thirteen pounds from the Derby winner, won the race by three-quarters of a length from Ard Patrick, but was disqualified for "bumping and boring" the runner-up and placed last after an objection.

Ard Patrick then developed leg trouble and was withdrawn from the Eclipse Stakes, which was won by Cheers, a colt he had beaten at both Epsom and Ascot.

[3] The 1903 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on 17 July was one of the most anticipated British races of the early 20th century with Ard Patrick and Sceptre facing that year's Epsom Derby winner, Rock Sand.

Ard Patrick was settled in third behind Rock Sand in the early stages by his rider Herbert "Otto" Madden, before going to the front and leading into the straight.