Noble Decree was a "strong, shapely, most attractive"[2] bay horse with a very small white star[3] bred in Florida by Kinsman Stud Farms.
At the time, Van Cutsem was one of the most successful trainers in Britain, handling major winners including Park Top and Karabas (Washington, D.C. International Stakes).
[4] Noble Decree's sire, Vaguely Noble, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1968 before becoming a successful breeding stallion whose best progeny included Dahlia, Exceller and Empery[4] His dam Hidden Secret was a stakes winner and half-sister of the Hollywood Derby winner Terry's Secret.
[2] On his final appearance of the season, Noble Decree contested the Group One Observer Gold Cup (now the Racing Post Trophy) at Doncaster in October in which he started at odds of 8/1[6] in a ten-runner field.
He overtook his stablemate Ksar inside the final furlong and won by half a length despite hanging left towards the rail in the closing stages.
[2] On his three-year-old debut Noble Decree ran in the Ladbroke Classic Trial over seven furlongs at Kempton and appeared unsuited by the course and distance as he finished fourth against moderate opposition.
In their annual "Racehorses of 1972" Timeform opined that he was "bound to win good races" but was not a "ready-made classic winner" and stated that two-year-old colts of 1972 seemed to be "a moderate lot".