[2] St Mark's Basilica's dam Cabaret, who was owned by Coolmore, won two races including the Silver Flash Stakes,[3] and went on to become a very successful broodmare who produced the 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia.

[4] On his racecourse debut St Mark's Basilica started the 6/4 favourite for a maiden race over six furlongs at the Curragh on 26 July in which he was ridden by Wayne Lordan and finished second to the Ger Lyons-trained Coill Avon.

[5] Seamie Heffernan took the ride when the colt started odds-on favourite for a maiden at the Curragh on 22 August and recorded his first victory, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning "readily" by one and a quarter lengths from Loch Lein.

[6] St Mark's Basilica was promoted back to Group 1 class for the National Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September in which he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started at odds of 9/1.

[7] It had been intended that the colt would next contest the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at Longchamp Racecourse but the O'Brien contingent for the meeting was withdrawn when it became apparent that a batch of contaminated feed made it likely that they would fail drug tests.

[8] The colt was rerouted to England for the Dewhurst Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket Racecourse on 10 October in which he was ridden by Frankie Dettori and went off at odds of 10/1 in a fourteen-runner field.

St Mark's Basilica settled in mid-division as the 100/1 outsider Devilwala set the pace, before moving forward to take the lead approaching the final furlong.

[11] For his first run as a three-year-old St Mark's Basilica was sent to France to contest the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over 1600 metres on very soft ground at Longchamp Racecourse on 16 May.

"[13] Mendizabal was again in the saddle when St Mark's Basilica returned to France three weeks later for the Prix du Jockey Club over 2100 metres on soft ground at Chantilly Racecourse and started the 2.8/1 favourite.

St Mark's Basilica was positioned just behind the leaders before gaining the advantage 300 metres out and kept on well to win by one and three quarter lengths from Sealiway with Millebosc a short head away in third place.

[15] For his next run, St Mark's Basilica was matched against older horses for the first time in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on 3 July when he was partnered by Ryan Moore and started favourite against three opponents, namely Mishriff, Addeybb and El Drama.

[18] Instead he reappeared at the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse on 11 September when he was ridden by Moore and started the 5/6 favourite in a four-runner field which included Tarnawa, Poetic Flare and Patrick Sarsfield.