As a descendant of the broodmare Miss France, Etoile de Paris came from the same branch of Thoroughbred Family 9-e which produced In The Wings, Dubawi, High-Rise and Virginia Waters.
[5] In June and July she carried top weight of 133 pounds in two ten furlong handicap races at Newbury Racecourse and won on both occasions.
She was beaten a short head at level weights by Sonus, a colt who had finished second to User Friendly in the 1992 St Leger Stakes.
In July she was moved up to Group race class for the first time, finishing second by a neck to River North in the Scottish Classic at Ayr Racecourse and second to Lyphard' Delta in the Nassau Stakes.
She appeared to be making good progress in the straight when she was badly hampered and despite running on again in the closing stages she finished fifth, two and a half lengths behind the winner Urban Sea.
[12] Two weeks later, Only Royale ended her season in Milan, where she finished a disappointing fourth behind Misil in the Gran Premio del Jockey Club.
She finished seventh behind Apple Tree in a field which included Urban Sea, Intrepidity, Monsun, White Muzzle and Environment Friend.
[18] The first race of Only Royale's final season saw her matched against Tikkanen at weight-for-age in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.
[19] In June, Only Royale contested her second Coronation Cup in which he finished strongly but failed by a head to catch the French colt Sunshack.
[20] On her final appearance on 2 July, Only Royale finished third behind Carnegie and Luso in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, with Tikkanen and Sunshack in fourth and fifth.