He was then stepped up in class and distance for the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes over one mile at Ascot Racecourse in September and started the 13/2 fourth choice in the betting.
After racing in third place behind the outsiders Top Class and Ilishpour he moved to the front two furlongs out and held off the late challenge of Sheriff's Star, with Salse two lengths back in third.
[5] Emmson began his second season in the Dante Stakes (a major trial race for The Derby) over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse in May.
He bypassed the Derby in favour of the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly Racecourse and finished third beaten a short head and three quarters of a length by Hours After and Ghost Buster's.
[7] On his fourth and final appearance of the year he was dropped in class and started odds-on favourite for the Group Three St Simon Stakes at Newbury but ran poorly and finished seventh, more than twenty lengths behind the winner Upend.
Emmson made his first appearance in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse on 29 April and finished a remote sixth behind Indian Skimmer.
With Carson in the saddle, he tracked the leader Hello Calder before taking the lead in the last 200 metres and stayed on well to win by three quarters of a length from Sweet Chesne.
In the official International Classification of two-year-olds for 1987, Emmson was given a rating of 118, seven pounds behind the top-rated pair Ravinella and Warning, making him the fifth best British juvenile colt.