[7] He was immediately moved up to Group Two class, but finished last of the five runners behind Nuclear Debate in the Prix du Gros Chêne.
Ridden by Darryll Holland he started slowly and was held up in the early running as the field of twenty-eight runners split into two groups.
This meant that he would be forced to carry top weight in almost any handicap race, and as a result the focus of his career shifted to weight-for-age competition.
In the Group One July Cup, which was run in "diabolical weather" at Newmarket, Continent started at 12/1 in a field of 14 which included Reel Buddy and Malhub.
"[15] In August Continent finished fourth, beaten just over a length in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York, and then ran sixth to Invincible Spirit in the Haydock Sprint Cup.
In October, Continent faced a field of twenty in the Prix de L'Abbaye and was made 4/1 joint favourite with Bahamian Pirate.
The gelding ran on strongly under pressure to take the lead on the line and win a three way photo finish from the Italian runner Slap Shot and the French-trained Zipping with Bahamian Pirate a neck behind in fourth.
[16] After the race Slap Shot's jockey Mirco Demuro was so convinced that he had won that he rode his horse into the winner's enclosure and celebrated with a Frankie Dettori-style flying dismount.
On his final race of the year Continent was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse for the Hong Kong Sprint but made no impression, finishing last of the fourteen runners.
Continent continued to be campaigned at the highest level in 2003, but was unable to recapture his form and finished unplaced in all five of his races, his best effort coming when running sixth to Oasis Dream in the July Cup.
In June at Thirsk, his local track, the ten-year-old finally broke his losing streak when he finished strongly to take the lead close home and win a minor handicap race by half a length.