Caractacus (horse)

Caractacus was a British Thoroughbred racehorse, foaled in 1859, best known for winning the 1862 Epsom Derby. Owned by Mr. Snewing and trained by Tom Parr, Caractacus was a long shot, with odds of 1000-15 against him, making his victory one of the most unexpected in Derby history.

Caractacus's pedigree was considered somewhat suspect, and his parentage was debated at the time, leading to controversy surrounding his win. He was officially recorded as being by Kingston out of Defenceless by Whalebone. Some alleged that he was not a true descendant of Kingston, which would have invalidated his Derby victory.

Despite the controversies, his win was upheld, and Caractacus achieved lasting fame, or perhaps notoriety, due to the dramatic circumstances of his Derby win and the questions surrounding his breeding. He did not achieve further significant racing success after the Derby.