She showed considerable promise as a two-year-old, winning one race and finishing second in the May Hill Stakes and improved when moved up to middle distances in the following year.
Ridden for the first time by Richard Quinn who partnered her in all her subsequent races she led from the start, went clear of her rivals in the closing stages and won by four lengths despite being eased down in the final strides.
After taking the early lead and breaking clear approaching the last quarter mile she was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten into second by the Henry Cecil-trained Rafha (later to win the Prix de Diane).
On her three-year-old debut, Knight's Baroness faced Rafha again in the Oaks Trial Stakes over one and a half miles at Lingfield Park (then a turf track) on 12 May and started the 7/2 second favourite behind her old rival.
Atoll went to the front in the straight but Knight's Baroness produced a sustained run to wear down the Italian filly, took the lead in the final strides and won by a neck.
[7] Knight's Baroness was moved up in distance to contest the Group Two Park Hill Stakes over one and three quarter miles at Doncaster on 12 September in which she carried a five-pound weight penalty as a result of her Irish Oaks success.