As a yearling in October 1997 Donativum (then described as a "chestnut colt") was put up for auction at Tattersalls and bought for 120,000 guineas by John Ferguson Bloodstock on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed.
[1] As a juvenile, Donativum was beaten in maiden races on his first two starts and then finished seventh in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
After recording his first victory in a maiden at Yarmouth Racecourse he started a 33/1 outsider for the valuable Timeform Million over seven furlongs at Newmarket on 4 October.
Ridden by Martin Dwyer, he finished strongly and won by half a length from Crowded House[2] He was then shipped to California for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Racetrack three weeks later.
After being restrained toward the rear of the field by Frankie Dettori he made rapid progress in the straight, took the lead in the last fifty yards and won by half a length from the Irish challenger Westphalia.