[2] Nobiliary's dam Goofed won four races and became a highly successful broodmare, also producing the outstanding racehorse and sire Lyphard and the Bowling Green Handicap winner Barcas.
She was then moved up sharply in class and matched against colts when she contested France's most prestigious race for juveniles, the Grand Critérium over 1600 metres at Longchamp on 13 October.
[4] Nobiliary began her three-year-old season in the Prix de la Grotte over 1600 metres at Longchamp in April and won by a length from Lighted Glory, a filly who went on to finish fifth in the 1000 Guineas.
[5] In a highly unusual move, Nobiliary was then sent to England and was matched against colts for the 196th running of the Epsom Derby, a race in which no filly had finished in the first three since Fifinella won a wartime version in 1916.
[7] Nobiliary was scheduled for a rematch with Ivanjica in the Prix de Diane but when the race was abandoned owing to industrial action by stable staff, she was rerouted to the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park Racecourse.
Nobiliary moved into second place early in the straight but could make no further progress and eventually finished third, beaten a neck and two lengths Juliette Marny and Tuscarora.
The finish of the race was similar to that of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with Nobiliary taking the lead in the straight before being outsprinted by Ivanjica and beaten one and a half lengths.
The other contenders included Star Appeal from Germany, Laomedonte from Italy, Comtesse de Loir and On My Way from France, Tsukisamu Homare from Japan and Shady Character representing the United States.
Hawley sent the filly into the lead from the start and set a very fast pace, with only Shady Character attempting to match her early speed: at one point the pair went seven lengths clear of the field making it appear to some observers that she was being employed as a pacemaker for Dahlia.
[5] There was no International Classification of European two-year-olds in 1974: the official handicappers of Britain, Ireland and France compiled separate rankings for horses which competed in those countries.