Dancing Brave
Throughout the winter of 1985/6, Bakharoff was regarded a leading contender for the 1986 Epsom Derby although there were widespread rumours that he was inferior to his lightly raced stable companion Dancing Brave. He began his three-year-old season in the Highland Spring Derby Trial at Lingfield Park Racecourse on 10 May, when he started the 11/10 favourite but was beaten half a length by Mashkour. As Bakharoff's trainer and owner had Dancing Brave to represent their interests in the Derby, Bakharoff was rerouted from Epsom to contest the Prix du Jockey-Club over 2400 metres at Chantilly Racecourse on 8 June. He started at odds of 7/2 but after being settled in the middle of the field he could never reach the leaders and finished third behind Bering and Altayan. Three weeks later, Bakharoff started at odds of 9/2 for the Irish Derby at the Curragh and finished third of the eleven runners behind Shahrastani and Bonhomie.