[5] Flying Water made her first appearance at Chantilly Racecourse in July 1975 and won a maiden race over 1200m, beating a filly called Imogene.
In the closing stages, she produced a strong burst of acceleration[8] to take the lead inside the final furlong and win by a length from Konafa and Kesar Queen.
[11] After a break of more than a year, Flying Water resumed her career by finishing fifth to the three-year-old filly Polyponder in the Prix de la Porte Maillot at Longchamp.
Flying Water returned to Deauville later that month for the Prix Jacques Le Marois, one of France's most important weight-for-age mile races.
In a race run at a "muddling"[7] pace, she showed superior speed in the closing stages to win by half a length from Blushing Groom and Trepan.
As in her previous start, the filly was suited by a slow pace[7] and accelerated clear inside the final furlong to win by two lengths from the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup winner Relkino.
Early in the straight, Flying Water collided with the running rail when moving up to the leaders and fell heavily, throwing her jockey Jean Cruguet.
[13] In the first official International Classification, a collaboration between the handicappers in Britain, Ireland, and France, Flying Water was rated the best older female racehorse in Europe in 1977.