Velvet Moon was a half-sister of Central Park who won the Derby Italiano and finished second in the Melbourne Cup and was related to the Prix Royal Oak winner Braashee.

He was restrained towards the back of the field before making progress in the final quarter mile but was beaten a short head by Snow King after Mullen dropped his whip 50 yards from the finish.

He made a belated seasonal debut on 18 July in a minor race over ten furlongs at Leicester Racecourse in which he was ridden by Ryan Moore and started the 1/2 favourite against two opponents.

[6] On 10 August, Telescope was matched against older horses for the first time when he started 4/9 favourite for the Group Three Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park Racecourse.

Telescope and Ryan Moore tracked the leaders before making a challenge in the straight but was beaten a length by the four-year-old David Livingston with Noble Mission a head away in third place.

On his first appearance as a four-year-old, Telescope contested the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse on 25 April in which he finished second, proving no match for Noble Mission, who won by nine lengths.

He faced Noble Mission again in the Huxley Stakes over a similar distance at Chester Racecourse on 8 May, and was beaten 2+1⁄4 lengths by the Lady Cecil-trained five-year-old, who was conceding three pounds.

After racing just behind the leaders Telescope took the lead a quarter of a mile from the finish and went clear of his opponents to win impressively by seven lengths from his stable companion Hillstar.

[8] Despite never having previously competed at Group One level, Telescope started 5/2 favourite for Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the same course and distance as the Hardwicke on 26 July.

Starting the odds-on favourite he went clear of the field in the last quarter mile but was worn down in the closing stages and beaten a head by the four-year-old gelding Second Step.