[1] He was purchased at the 2003 Tattersalls October Yearling sale for 75,000gns by the bloodstock agent John Warren[2] on behalf of the Royal Ascot Racing Club, a partnership whose 230 members included television personality, Simon Cowell.

Fallon sent Motivator into the lead well over two furlongs out, and the colt stayed on strongly to beat Albert Hall by two and a half lengths, despite hanging slightly to the right in the closing stages.

[12] Michael Bell chose to start Motivator's three-year-old campaign with a run in the Dante Stakes at York, for which he was made even-money favourite.

[13] The Dante is one of the most important trial races for the Derby, having been won in runnings prior to 2005 by the Epsom winners Erhaab, Benny the Dip and North Light.

Two weeks before the race many bookmakers made Motivator and Dubawi were joint-favourites ahead of Aidan O'Brien's Gypsy King, who had won the Chester Vase with Kieren Fallon.

Motivator maintained his pace down the straight to win by six lengths from the French colt Walk in the Park, who overtook the fading Dubawi in the closing stages.

[23] Murtagh reported that the colt may not have been suited by the shorter distance and firmer ground,[24] whilst Bell felt that Motivator had not been helped by the "muddling" pace.

[25] After a break of two months, Motivator returned to face a strong field in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in which he was ridden by Kevin Darley.

[26] For the first time since his debut, Motivator did not start favourite, being the 3/1 second choice behind the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Azamour.

This time he ran on at one pace to finish fifth of the fifteen runners behind Hurricane Run[29] Following the race a spokesman for the owners described Motivator's performance as a "mystery" and hinted that the colt would probably be retired.

[30] Motivator was however, scheduled to make a final appearance in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park and his prospects of winning seemed to have improved when Hurricane Run was withdrawn from the race after "coughing".

In the official European Two-year-old Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings for 2004, Motivator was awarded a figure of 117, making him the sixth best colt in Europe, six pounds behind the champion Shamardal.