The rest of his three-year-old career was disappointing but he reached his peak in 1977, winning the Lockinge Stakes over a mile and then recording an upset victory in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup.
[6] Lady Beaverbrook was considered an eccentric character[7] who gave most of her horses names consisting of one word with seven letters (Bustino, Terimon, Boldboy, Niniski, Mystiko, Petoski), as this was the most common form for Derby winners.
[9] Relkino made his debut in the Ecchinswell Maiden Stakes over six furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in July,[10] in which he took the lead at half distance and drew away to win "very comfortably" by four lengths.
[5] On his three-year-old debut, Relkino won the 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in April, leading from the start to beat the Reg Akehurst-trained Loh by three-quarters of a length.
In May he contested the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse and finished sixth of the seventeen runners behind Wollow, Vitiges, Thieving Demon, Patris and Frankie.
[3] Relkino began his third season in the Westbury Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse in April, in which he led from the start, setting a very fast pace, before being overtaken in the closing stages and finishing second by three quarters of a length to the Henry Cecil-trained Lucky Wednesday.
In the Diomed Stakes at Epsom in June, Relkino finished sixth in an unsatisfactory race in which he was forced into the rails and repeatedly bitten by the subsequently disqualified Marinsky.
[1] In August started a 33/1[11] outsider for the sixth running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse, with the betting being headed by Artaius.
Restrained towards the back of the eight-runner field he moved forward in the final quarter mile to contest the lead with Arctic Tern, North Stoke and Flying Water.
[3] In the inaugural International Classification in 1977, Relkino was rated equal with Exceller as the sixth-best older horse in Europe behind Balmerino, Orange Bay, Buckskin, Gentilhombre and Sagaro.