CARACTACUS and
HOLYWELL FARM
The 1862 Epsom Derby
was run on 4th June with a huge field of 34 horses, the largest ever recorded
at the Derby. When James 'Jim' Goater refused to ride Caractacus in
favour of Goater's brother's horse, the Sprite, Mr Snewing's stable boy John
Parsons, believed to be about 16 years old and reported to be the youngest
jockey ever to win the Derby, was given the ride, as he had in the horse's
three previous races. The horses made three false starts before the race
got underway with Caractacus being a distant outsider. Yet Caractacus won by a
neck from Buckstone and Neptunus. An objection was raised by Lord Stamford,
which was not upheld and then, when all the jockeys and saddles were
weighed post race, Parsons did not initially meet the 122 lbs requirement
weight and only the adding of the bridle to the tack prevented
disqualification.
"Caractacus,
whose wondrous shape
Sets every country
mouth agape-
And if, of the
outsiders there,
One horse should pass
the winning chair,
Enrolled in the
successful three,
Be sure Caractacus is
he."
—Orange
Blossom, Bell's Life
Caractacus was described as a
bay colt that stood 15.1 hands high, with a “light” neck, fine shoulders,
good girth and sound feet. He had a large white blaze, a white sock on his
right front foot and a grey full-stocking on his right hind leg. He had a
“corky” personality and possessed refined movement, leading him to be described
as a “slashing goer.”
As a yearling,
Caractacus was bought for 250 guineas by the trainer William Day,
acting on behalf of a London publican named Charles Snewing who also was a
veterinary surgeon. Allegedly, the colt was named 'Caractacus'
because Snewing had admired a statue of the British chieftain
'Caractacus bound in chains' at the 1851 Exhibition. He is reported to
have said, "If ever I try a horse good enough I'll call him Caractacus,
and win the Derby with him". In spring 1861, the two-year-old
colt was moved to a stable at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, where his
training was managed by Robert "Bob" Smith. After the Derby
win Caractacus was retired to stud in 1863, with Snewing retaining
ownership. He was a breeding stallion first at the Highfield Paddock near St Albans for an annual fee of 20
guineas. He was moved to the Holywell Stud Farm in Watford sometime before 1872. Caractacus serviced approximately 40
mares per season while in Britain before being sold for £7,000 to Mr. Strass
who exported him to St Petersburg at the end of the 1872 breeding season.
Caractacus sired about 57 foals in Russia, none of which were successful racers
or sires. He died in 1878 at the Russian Imperial Stud in Hrenoosky.
