On his three-year-old debut, Fascinating Rock started at odds of 9/1 in an eight-runner maiden over ten furlongs at Leopardstown on 30 March and won by a length from the Aidan O'Brien-trained Adjusted.

[4] At Navan Racecourse two weeks later the colt was moved up in class for the Group Three Ballysax Stakes and started 5/2 second favourite behind the Jim Bolger-trained Answered.

[5] The colt's next race was the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial over ten furlongs at Leopardstown on 11 May, for which he started favourite against five opponents headed by the Beresford Stakes winner Geoffrey Chaucer.

After being badly hampered approaching the straight he never looked likely to mount a challenge and finished eighth, more than eleven lengths behind the winner Australia.

[8] In a strongly-contested Tattersalls Gold Cup at the same course three weeks later he was beaten a neck by Al Kazeem, with Postponed third, The Grey Gatsby fourth and Parish Hall fifth.

[9] On 17 October Fascinating Rock was sent to England for the third time and started at odds of 10/1 for the Group One Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Ascot Racecourse.

Smullen restrained the colt towards the middle of the thirteen runner field as the pacemaker Maverick Wave made the running from Jack Hobbs.

He began to make progress in the straight, overtook Jack Hobbs inside the final furlong and held off the late challenge of Found to win by one and a quarter lengths.

I had a fair idea they would go a pretty good gallop so I told Pat to take him time and hunt away as I knew the horse would come home for him.