[10] Frankie Dettori took the ride 25 days later when the colt was stepped up in class for the Group Two Richmond Stakes over the same distance at Goodwood and started 11/8 favourite against six opponents.
As in his previous race he started slowly but soon recovered and went to the front a furlong from the finish to win in "comfortable" fashion by one and a half lengths from Hunting Lion.
He began his three-year-old campaign with two races on the dirt track at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, starting with the UAE 2000 Guineas over one mile on 20 February.
[12] In the UAE Derby on 25 March, with Guillot again in the saddle, Bachir took the lead after two furlongs and led for most of the way but was overtaken in the closing stages and finished second to his stablemate China Visit.
Bachir returned to Godolphin's British base at Newmarket and made his first appearance of the season in Europe in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over 1600 metres at Longchamp on 14 May in which he was ridden by Dettori.
Bachir led from the start and stayed on well under strong pressure to hold off the challenge of Giant's Causeway and win by a neck with Cape Town close behind in third.
[16] With Dettori convalescing from injuries sustained in a plane crash at Newmarket[17] the American veteran Jerry Bailey took the ride when Bachir faced Giant's Causeway again in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on 20 June.
Drawn on the wide outside he led for much of the way before being headed in the straight and was outpaced in the closing stages, finishing sixth of the eleven runners, two and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
Carrying top weight of 125 pounds he led for most of the way but faded in the closing stages to finish fifth of the six runners behind Medicean, Observatory, Cape Town and Seazun.