Spring

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Alcohol Free started the 9/4 favourite in a seventeen-runner field for the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 18 April. With Murphy in the saddle she tracked the leaders before taking the lead approaching the final furlong and held of the late challenge of Statement to win by a short head.^[11] Andrew Balding commented "We expect her to improve a whole load as she's backward in her coat and hasn't done a huge amount of work at home... She's got a massive engine which is what you need in a racehorse".^[12]

On 2 May Alcohol Free started at odds of 10/1 in an eleven-runner field for the 208th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. After racing in mid-division she made steady progress in the last quarter mile but was unable to reel in the leaders and came home fifth behind Mother Earth, Saffron Beach, Fev Rover and Santa Barbara beaten two lengths by the winner.^[13]

Summer

In the Coronation Stakes over one mile on heavy ground in driving rain at Royal Ascot on 18 June Alcohol Free started the 11/2 third favourite behind Pretty Gorgeous and Mother Earth in an eleven-runner field which also included Shale, Fev Rover, Empress Josephine, Snow Lantern and Novemba (German 1000 Guineas). After racing in mid-division Alcohol Free made progress in the straight, gained the advantage from the front-running Novemba inside the final furlong and won one and a half lengths and a neck from Snow Lantern and Mother Earth. Shortly after the finish she jinked to the right and unseated Oisin Murphy.^[14] "We were a bit concerned when all the rain came, because her stamina wasn't guaranteed... We have worked her at home plenty of times on soft ground, it doesn’t inconvenience her and she travels very strongly. It was just whether she would see out the final furlong, and I was very grateful that she really powered home."^[15]

At Newmarket on 9 July Alcohol Free started 5/2 favourite for the Falmouth Stakes but after leading for most of the way she was overtaken in the final strides and finished third beaten half a length and a neck by Snow Lantern and Mother Earth.^[16] At Goodwood Racecourse nineteen days later the filly was matched against male opponents and older horses in the Sussex Stakes. Racing on soft ground she started 7/2 second favourite behind Poetic Flare in a nine-runner field which also included Order of Australia, Snow Lantern, Tilsit (Summer Mile Stakes) and Century Dream (Celebration Mile). Alcohol Free raced in mid-division before making rapid progress on the outside in the straight, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by one and three quarter lengths from Poetic Flare.^[17] Recalling his previous success in the race, which happened when Chief Singer triumphed in 1984, Jeff Smith said "I had jet-black hair and no worries in the world. I thought it was easy and that I’d come back and do it again. She’s something else and the way she has won is incredible. It wasn’t so much the opposition, I was more concerned that we did not have a repeat of the Falmouth where she got left in the lead having broken too well. She needs to get cover and something to aim at. Then she got bumped around and pushed back, but then the way she picked up showed what she really is."^[18]

Autumn

Alcohol Free was stepped up in distance on 18 August at York Racecourse and started 9/2 third favourite for the International Stakes over ten furlongs. She never looked likely win and tired in the closing stages to come home sixth of the seven runners behind Mishriff.^[19] On her final run of the year the filly dropped back to a mile for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot when she went off at odds of 10/1 but made little impact and finished eighth of the ten runners behind Baaeed, beaten eight lengths by the winner.