Ridden by Tony Clark (Starkey was required to ride at Goodwood), Lear Fan carried eleven pounds more than his rivals but started the 4/11 favorite in a field of six.
[6] On 9 September, Lear Fan was moved up in class to contest the Group Two Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse with Clark again in the saddle as Starkey was serving a suspension.
[6] Lear Fan was ridden by Starkey when he made his three-year-old debut in the Craven Stakes, a trial race for the 2000 Guineas, over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket in April.
He started second favorite behind the French colt Siberian Express in a field which also included Palace Music, Masarika (Poule d'Essai des Pouliches) and Mendez (Prix Jean Prat).
Lear Fan settled behind the pacemaker Ardash, before taking the lead 400 meters from the finish accelerating clear of the field and winning by four lengths from Palace Music.
Racing on much softer ground than at Deauville,[4] Lear Fan took the lead in the straight and looked likely to win, but tired in the closing stages and was beaten half a length by Mendez.
[9] On his final appearance, Lear Fan was sent to California to contest the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack in November.
The firm ground was expected to suit the colt, but he failed to cope with the tight oval track[4] and lost all chance by running wide on the turns, finishing seventh behind Royal Heroine.
[9] In the official International Classification for 1983, Lear Fan was rated the third-best two-year-old in Europe, behind El Gran Senor and Rainbow Quest, respectively first and second in the Dewhurst Stakes.
In that year' International Classification, he was rated the fifth best three-year-old colt in Europe behind El Gran Senor, Chief Singer, Darshaan and Sadler's Wells and the eighth best horse of any age.