[4] He entered the ownership of Billy Gaff, the former manager of Rod Stewart (and founder of Riva Records), and was sent into training with Ray Laing at his Delamere House stable at Lambourn.
[7] She was descended from the British broodmare Perfume (foaled 1933) who was the female-line ancestor of several other major winners including My Babu, Sayani and English Prince.
Ridden by Ray Cochrane he started the 4/1 second favourite behind the highly regarded, but previously unraced Tate Gallery, with the best-fancied of the other eleven runners being the unbeaten filly Sherkraine, Devil's Run and Mr John.
[4] At the end of the year, the independent Timeform organisation gave Roaring Riva a rating of 103, making him 29 pounds inferior to their top-rated juvenile Huntingdale.
In their annual Racehorses of 1985 Timeform praised Laing's skill at placing the horse to win a Group 1 race but opined that Roaring Riva was "some way removed from top class".
He was unplaced in four subsequent races, including the Vernons Sprint Cup, producing his best effort on his final start when he finished a close fifth behind Parioli in the Prix de Seine-et-Oise at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse in late September.