On his sixth appearance he contested a maiden race over six furlongs at Phoenix Park Racecourse in August and recorded his first victory, beating Poacher's Moon by four lengths.
Later that month he was moved up to Group Three class for the Vauxhall Trial Stakes at Phoenix Park and finished fourth behind Lucky Wednesday, Sovereign Dice and Wolverlife.
Despite a defeat over six furlongs on his net appearance, Northern Treasure was then moved up to the highest class for the Group One Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on 15 May, in which he was ridden by Gabriel Curran and started a 33/1 outsider in a seventeen-runner field.
The field was tightly grouped for most of the way and there was a considerable amount of barging and scrimmaging for position but in the last quarter mile the contest devolved into a three-way struggle between Lucky Wednesday on the rail, Northern Treasure on the outside and Comeram (partnered by Lester Piggott) racing between his two rivals.
In a closely contested finish the outsider prevailed over the favourite as Northern Treasure won by a short head from Comeram, with the weakening Lucky Wednesday a length behind in third place.
[4] On 26 June Northern Treasure was moved up in distance to contest the Irish Derby over one and a half miles at the Curragh and started the 10/1 fourth choice in the betting.
In the inaugural running of the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes at Leopardstown on 25 September he started second favourite but failed to reproduce his best form as he finished fourth behind Malacate, Mart Lane and Niebo.