Caractacus (horse)

Caractacus debuted in a four and a half furlong race for two-year-olds at Harpenden with J. Adams as his jockey. He did not finish in the top four, and the race was ultimately won by Mr. Fisher's colt Lord Burleigh.[1][2] His next engagement was on 28 August in three quarters of a mile Stratton Audley Nursery Handicap in Oxford.[8] He finished fifth out of a field of eight horses behind Turn of Luck while carrying 110 pounds, and he was jockeyed by a teenage stable boy named John Parsons.[1] Parsons again rode Caractacus in the Skeffington Nursery Handicap where, carrying 107 pounds, he was third behind Captain Christie's My Partner.[2]

Caractacus' first start as a three-year-old was in the Great Metropolitan Handicap at the Epsom spring meeting. He was ridden by J. Grimshaw and carried 75 pounds in the two and a quarter mile race. Caractacus was beaten by a head by Elcho who carried 112 pounds.[1] After the Great Metropolitan, Caractacus was moved from Harpenden to a stable in Ilsley. Caractacus secured another second-place finish in the Newmarket Biennial Stakes, losing by two lengths to Joseph Hawley's Sir Rollo. He did not place in his next start for the Chester Cup, which was won by Tim Whiffler.[2] He was third in the two mile Great Northern Handicap, losing to Ivanhoff and The Wizard.[1] He beat Fitz-Avon by two lengths to win the Somersetshire Stakes held in Bath.[2]

The 1862 Epsom Derby occurred on 4 June with 34 horses lining up for the start,[9] the largest field ever recorded at the Derby.[10] Caractacus was supposed to have been ridden by James "Jim" Goater, but he refused to ride Caractacus in favor of Goater's brother's horse The Sprite.[11] Consequently, Snewing's stable boy John Parsons, thought to be around 16 years old at the time,[10][12] rode Caractacus as he had done in three of the horse's previous starts.[1] Parsons is reported to be the youngest jockey to ever win the Derby.[12] The two betting favorites were Mr. S. Hawkes' colt The Marquis and Mr. Merry's colt Buckstone,[9] with Caractacus considered a distant outsider for winning the race,[6] although he did impress some observers when cantering to the start.[13] The horses made three false starts[10] before the race was underway, an occurrence blamed on the starter Mr. McGeorge,[9] although it was pointed out that the unusually large field and the rowdy atmosphere made his task a difficult one.[13] Parsons is reported to have encouraged his mount by shouting, "Get along, Crackey" and "Good lad, Crackey."[11] Caractacus, carrying 122 pounds like all the other colts, started from the 17th post position.[6] The Marquis's jockey, Ashmall, attempted to make all the running and turned into the straight with a clear lead, but several challengers emerged, most notably Buckstone and Caractacus. Inside the last furlong, Buckstone was unable to sustain his run, leaving the favourite and the unknown outsider to dispute the finish, and after a "fine race"[14] Caractacus prevailed by a neck in a time two minutes 45.5 seconds with Buckstone and Neptunus finishing third and fourth.[1][2] When all the jockeys and saddles were weighed post race, Parsons did not initially meet the 122 pound weight requirement. He barely made weight when Caractacus' bridle was added to the tack, preventing the horse's disqualification.[11][15] Snewing talked many years later about the anxiety of that event, "Oh, the agony I felt at that moment, I would not undergo it again for a thousand pounds."[6][11] An objection was also raised by Lord Stamford, the owner of a colt named Ensign, that Caractacus and the majority of the field had made false starts and should all be disqualified. As his complaint had been logged 20 minutes post race, five minutes more than 15 minute allowance, the objection was not upheld.[11]

The Derby was ultimately Caractacus' last start. He was entered for the 1862 St. Leger Stakes, but he injured both suspensory ligaments in his front legs shortly before the running and was permanently retired from racing.[7]

The poet "Orange Blossom" for Bell's Life wrote of the horse's unlikely fame: