He was less successful when campaigned in Europe but recorded a final major victory when taking the Premio Vittorio di Capua and was rated one of the best racehorses in the world at the end of the year.
[3] Gladiatorus began his racing career in the Premio Germanio over 1400 metres at Naples Racecourse on 7 June when he started at odds of 7.9/1 and won by one and three quarter lengths from the favourite Jay Force.
[4] Nine days later he was stepped up in class for the Group 3 Premio Primi Passi at the San Siro Racecourse in Milan in which he came home sixth of the eleven runners behind his stablemate Magritte.
In the Listed Premio Toscana over 1500 metres at Florence on 9 September the colt returned to winning form, leading for most of the way and coming home a length in front of Eldest.
On his first run for his new trainer, the colt was ridden by Germano Marcelli and started at odds of 3.75/1 for the Listed Premio Rumon over 1600 metres at the Capannelle Racecourse in Rome on 30 September.
[7] Gladiatorus was partnered by Frankie Dettori when he contested Italy's most prestigious race for two-year-olds, the Group 1 Gran Criterium at San Siro and started the 3.9/1 fourth choice in a nine-runner field.
But he proved to have a slight issue with his pelvis, the faintest of fractures, and he was a big, weak sort of horse anyway, so the decision was made to back off him and give him the time to develop he needed.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Archipenko started favourite, while the other runners in an international field included Paco Boy, Vodka, Creachadoir, Presvis, Kip Deville and Jay Peg.
The horse was campaigned in Europe but his form was initially disappointing as he ran sixth behind Paco Boy in when favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and then came home a remote eighth of nine behind Goldikova in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville Racecourse in August.
On 11 October Gladiatorus returned to Italy for the first time in almost two years to contest the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua over 1600 metres at San Siro.
Ridden by Ajtebi he started the 1.8/1 favourite ahead of ten opponents including Major Cadeaux (Sandown Mile) from England, Wislide (Prix Chloé) from France and Precious Boy (Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen) from Germany.