[7] In June he was sent to Britain to contest the Derby over one and a half miles at Epsom but despite being considered a serious contender[8] he finished unplaced behind another French challenger Phil Drake.

In September he appeared at Ascot where he produced a "great finishing sprint"[9] to win the inaugural running[10] of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over one mile.

After running poorly in the Prix Ganay he finished second in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, beaten 1+1⁄2 lengths when attempting to concede six pounds to the leading British four-year-old Hugh Lupus.

Although the race had been won by many champions in the past, by the 1950s it had become common practice for top-class European horses to compete almost exclusively in weight-for-age events.

Carrying top weight of 133 pounds, Hafiz was ridden by the Australian jockey Rae Johnstone and started at odds of 10/1.

In what Alec Head described as a "wonderful performance"[13] Hafiz finished second by half a length to a four-year-old gelding named Loppylugs, to whom he was conceding 27 pounds.