In the following year she was very highly tried, running thirteen times and winning only once, when taking a handicap race over ten furlongs at the Curragh in May by four lengths.
At Royal Ascot in June she finished third behind the British colts Critique and Glint of Gold in the Hardwicke Stakes over one and a half miles.
Later that year she again ran well in the United Kingdom when finishing second to the outstanding three-year-old filly Time Charter in the Sun Chariot Stakes over ten furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse.
At Sandown Park Racecourse in May, starting as a 20/1 outsider,[4] she recorded her first important win as she defeated Ivano by a length in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes.
[5] On 14 June on the opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting, Stanerra started at odds of 7/1[4] for the ten-furlong Prince of Wales's Stakes, which was then a Group Two race.
[5] Stanerra' only run in her own country came in September, when she ran in the Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse, which was then the only Group One race in Ireland open to older horses.
Plans to race the mare in North America were aborted following training problems, but she returned to fitness in time to contest the third running of the Japan Cup, which took place before a crowd of 80,000 at Tokyo Racecourse on 27 November.
[2] Racing on her favoured firm ground, Stanerra was not among the early leaders but produced a strong late run to take the lead in the closing strides and won by a head from Kyoei Promise.