As a three-year-old, however, he improved to become one of the outstanding British sprinters of the post-war era and was named the best horse of the year in Europe by all the major rating organisations.

On his first start as a three-year-old he won the Free Handicap over seven furlongs and was then stepped up to Group one level for the first time when he was sent to France to contest the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

Racing over 1600 metres] (one mile) for the first time he finished second to In Fijar, ahead of the subsequent Washington, D.C. International Stakes winner Argument.

On his return to England, Moorestyle won the valuable Norwest Holst Trophy off top weight, a handicap race over seven furlongs at York Racecourse in May.

In autumn, Moorestyle returned to England and won the Sprint Cup (then a Group Two race), beating Kampala and King of Spain and the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.

[3] In the summer he was beaten by Marwell in the July Cup, by Sharpo in the Nunthorpe Stakes and by To-Agori-Mou in the Waterford Crystal Mile, but won the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

[5] In the International Classification, compiled by the official handicappers of Britain, France and Ireland, Moorestyle was the highest-rated horse of 1980, one pound ahead of Ela-Mana-Mou and Argument.