Top Ville's dam, Sega Ville who was bred and owned by the widow of François Dupré, was a successful racehorse who won the Prix de Flore in 1971, and a daughter of the outstanding racemare La Sega, who won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane in 1962.
Ridden by Henri Samani, the colt raced in second place before taking the lead in the straight and winning by two lengths from the odds-on favourite Polynikis.
On 13 May, Top Ville ran in the Prix Lupin over 2100m at Longchamp in which he was matched against Irish River, the top-rated French colt of 1978 and the winner of four Group One races.
[7] Top Ville started the 13/10 favourite in a field of eleven colts for the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on 3 June.
He was opposed by a strong field which included Sharpman and his reportedly superior stable companion Le Marmot as well as Bellypha and High Sierra, winner of the Prix Noailles.
He was made the 2/5 favourite (coupled with his stable companion Kamaridaan) despite carrying top weight but finished fourth of the six runners behind Le Marmot.
In the inaugural International Classification, a collaboration between the official handicappers of France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Top Ville was rated nine pounds below Tromos and was the equal-third best French-trained two-year-old colt behind Irish River and Bellypha.
In the International Classification, he was rated the third-best three-year-old colt in Europe and the fifth best horse of any age, behind Three Troikas, Troy, Ile de Bourbon and Le Marmot.