He made his debut by running in the Champagne Stakes at the Pottery Meeting on 3 August, where he started the 6/4 favourite and won from Gipsy Queen.

[12] He made his first appearance of the year in a one-mile Sweepstakes at Newmarket's first spring meeting, where he won very easily by at least six lengths from Palladium and Devil-among-the-Tailors.

[13] In the Derby on 25 May, Attila started the 5/1 second choice in the betting behind the 3/1 favourite Coldrenick (previously known as "the Frederica colt"), a "dark horse" who carried the confidence and money of John Day's Danebury stable.

A furlong from the finish, Scott produced Attila with a decisive run and the colt quickly went clear to win "with the most perfect ease imaginable"[15] by two lengths from the fast-finishing Robert de Gorham.

Carrying an eight pound weight penalty for winning the Derby, he ran what was considered a creditable race to finish third, beaten a length behind Envoy and Seahorse.

On this occasion, Bill Scott attempted to lead from the start and set a strong pace, but Attila began to weaken before the horses entered the straight and was soon beaten.

He finished eighth of the seventeen starters behind Blue Bonnet, a filly described in the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine as "a very inferior animal".

[20] The following day he ran in the Gold Cup but was never in contention at any stage and finished unplaced behind The Emperor (at that time running as an unnamed "colt by Defence").

The ship returning him to England encountered rough seas and Attila panicked, kicking his stall to pieces and sustaining serious injuries.