Salsabil was one of the leading two-year-old fillies in Europe in 1989, winning two races including the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at the Longchamp.

Apart from Salsabil, she produced eleven winners[3] including Marju, a colt who won the St. James's Palace Stakes and finished second in The Derby.

[4] As a descendant of the broodmare Aloe, Flame of Tara was related to Pebbles, Round Table, Nashwan, Go For Wand and many other successful racehorses.

Later that month Salsabil started at odds of 4/9 for the Jack Collier Memorial Stakes at Newbury, but after leading a furlong from the finish she was caught in the closing stages and beaten a short head by Free At Last.

Eighteen days after her Newbury defeat, Salsabil was stepped up in class for the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.

Her opponents included Free at Last, the filly who had inflicted her only defeat, and Heart of Joy, the unbeaten winner of the Nell Gwyn Stakes.

Salsabil challenged Heart of Joy for the lead inside the final furlong and was hard ridden by Carson to win by three-quarters of a lengths.

[8] A month later Salsabil was moved up in distance for the one and a half mile Epsom Oaks and started 2/1 favourite, just ahead of the Irish 1000 Guineas winner In the Groove.

Racing on softer ground than at Newmarket, Salsabil was restrained by Carson in the early stages before moving up to take the lead in the straight.

The field included Quest for Fame and Blue Stag, first and second in The Derby and Sheikh Mohammed's highly rated Belmez.