[2] Chief Condender's dam Minnie Hauk was a daughter of the influential broodmare Best In Show, whose other descendants included El Gran Senor, Try My Best, Xaar, Jazil, Rags to Riches and Redoute's Choice.
On his next appearance on 5 May the colt ran in a maiden over the same distance at Salisbury Racecourse in which he was ridden by the apprentice jockey Robert Havlin and started at odds of 10/1 in a ten-runner field.
His third trip to France produced a similar result as he led for most of the way in the Prix de Lutèce at Longchamp Racecourse before being overtaken in the closing stages and finishing third to Tarator.
Chief Contender ended his season with a disappointing effort as he ran unplaced in the St Simon Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on 26 October.
Chief Contender began his third campaign on 19 April in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury in which he finished unplaced, more than twenty lengths behind the winner Whitewater Affair.
After an absence of over four months the colt returned for a second run in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville Racecourse in August and, after disputing the lead for most of the way, took third place behind Classic Cliche and Orchestra Stall.
Celeric started favourite ahead of Always Earnest (winner of the race in 1997), Persian Punch and Double Trigger with Chief Contender (ridden by Olivier Doleuze) the 11.4/1 fifth choice in the betting.