The filly was sent to Europe where she was trained by John Dunlop at Arundel, West Sussex and was ridden in ten of her twelve races by the veteran Scottish jockey Willie Carson.
Apart from Mehthaaf, Nureyev was the sire of the winners of at least forty-five Group One/Grade I including Peintre Celebre, Soviet Star, Sonic Lady, Spinning World, Zilzal, Stravinsky and Miesque.
Elle Seule's dam Fall Aspen was an outstanding broodmare whose other descendants have included Hamas, Timber Country and Dubai Millennium.
On her first appearance as a three-year-old Mehthaaf contested the Nell Gwyn Stakes (a major trial for the 1000 Guineas) over seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on 12 April.
She raced in second before taking the lead three furlongs out but was outpaced and overtaken in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Las Meninas, Balanchine and Coup de Genie.
The outsider Salvezza set the early pace with Carson positioning Mehthaaf just behind the leaders before switching left to make his challenge approaching the last quarter mile.
The filly was then matched against colts and older horses for the first time when she was sent to France for the Prix Jacques Le Marois over 1600 metres at Deauville Racecourse on 14 August.
After being restrained by Carson in the early stages Mehthaaf accelerated into the lead inside the final furlong and drew away to win by two and a half lengths from Emperor Jones.
[13] On 24 September at Ascot Mehthaaf, racing on her favoured good-to-soft ground, started at odds of 7/1 in a strongly-contested renewal of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes but after reaching third place on the final turn she faded to finish last of the nine runners behind the upset winner Maroof.
[14] For her final racecourse appearance, the filly was stepped up in distance for the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Newmarket on 15 October in which she was ridden by Richard Hills and started a 12/1 outsider.