he had done in three of the horse's previous starts. Parsons is reported to be the youngest jockey to ever win the Derby. The two betting favorites were Mr. S. Hawkes' colt The Marquis and Mr. Merry's colt Buckstone, with Caractacus considered a distant outsider for winning the race, although he did impress some observers when cantering to the start. The horses made three false starts before the race was underway, an occurrence blamed on the starter Mr. McGeorge, although it was pointed out that the unusually large field and the rowdy atmosphere made his task a difficult one. Parsons is reported to have encouraged his mount by shouting, "Get along, Crackey" and "Good lad, Crackey." Caractacus, carrying 122 pounds like all the other colts, started from the 17th post position. 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" Caractacus prevailed by a neck in a time two minutes 45.5 seconds with Buckstone and Neptunus finishing third and fourth. 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. 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." 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. 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. The poet "Orange Blossom" for Bell's Life wrote of the horse's unlikely fame: Stud career Caractacus was retired to stud in 1863, with Snewing retaining ownership. He was a breeding stallion first at the Highfield Paddock near St. Albans