Ile de Chypre was a "strong, rangy, attractive"[2] bay horse with no white markings[3] bred in England by his owner Athos Christodoulou.
[8] In a trial at Southwark Crown Court in 1989 a car dealer named James Laming claimed that he had carried out the operation and that the device had been disguised as a pair of binoculars but was somewhat vague regarding the details.
[11] Ile de Chypre began his third season by finishing unplaced when carrying top weight in the Lincoln and then ran second under 140 pounds in a handicap at Newmarket.
[12] At Epsom in June Ile de Chypre was promoted to Group One class for the Coronation Cup and took the lead a furlong out before being overtaken and beaten half a length by the favourite Sheriff's Star.
The horse was dropped back in class and distance for the Group Three Scottish Classic over ten furlongs at Ayr Racecourse and was beaten by the three-year-old Scenic.
On 22 August Ile de Chypre was ridden by Clark when he was one of seven runners to contest the 18th running of the International Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York.
Cacoethes, also trained by Guy Harwood was made the 2/5 favourite after finishing rthird to Nashwan in The Derby and second to the same horse in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, whilst Ile de Chypre was a relative outsider on 16/1.
After tracking the leader Two Timing in the early stages Clark sent Ile de Chypre into the lead three furlongs from the finish and accelerated clear of the field.
[13] On his retirement from race riding in 2004 Clark said "Ile de Chypre was a horse who took a lot of knowing but he was very game and I don't think he got the credit he deserved - he was a great favourite".
Ile de Chypre ended his season with a trip to the United States for the Breeders' Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on 4 November in which he finished unplaced behind Prized.