[4] Apology's sire, Adventurer, was a good runner over long distances, winning the City and Suburban Handicap and Ascot Gold Vase as a four-year-old.

Apology was described by The Times as "a fine looking, powerful chestnut filly, and though a little hollow backed, has very muscular hind quarters, which made her appear somewhat short of work.

[16] Apology finished second and last to the future Epsom Derby winner George Frederick by half a length in the Municipal Stakes run at Doncaster.

Apology took the lead on the ascent up the Abingdon Mile Bottom, overtaking the leaders halfway up the hill and winning the race by a margin of three quarters of a length.

[21] In August at the York meeting, Apology finished second by a head to the colt Trent in the Great Yorkshire Handicap after maintaining the lead throughout the race and carrying five extra pounds.

Rumours had also begun to circulate the day before the race that Apology had gone lame after a practice gallop and that her leg had been soaked the entire night in a bucket of cold water.

[24] Another version of the tale holds that Osborne did not receive King's reply in time for the race and acted on his own judgement, deciding to run Apology after noting the filly's lameness had greatly improved overnight.

Apology won the St. Leger by a length and a half "amidst the greatest excitement ever witnessed on the Town Moor"[25] in a time of three minutes and 16 seconds, setting a new race record.

[26] After Apology's highly publicised win in the St. Leger, Christopher Wordsworth, the Bishop of Lincoln, learnt that "Mr. Launde" was actually a vicar within his authoritative oversight.

[27] In his letter, the Bishop stated he would use all the powers at his disposal, including legal if necessary, to compel King to relinquish the trade: Whether the law in its present state, which needs amendment, may enable a Bishop to correct such offenses as these I cannot say with certainty, but I had rather appeal to your own conscience without resorting to legal proceedings, and I now entreat you once more, solemnly and affectionately, in the name of our Blessed Lord ... either to resign your pastoral cures or else to relinquish a course which seems to me to be altogether at variance with the sacred obligations by which you are bound as a clergyman of the Church of England.

[29] While King did tend to his racehorses personally, he had only been seen three times in his life on a racecourse, never wagered, and had largely retired from his clerical duties, instead employing a curate to do most of his parochial work.

[27] Reverend King agreed to relinquish his clerical position and wrote to the Bishop of Lincoln: My Lord, with reference to your present letter, it is true that now for more than fifty years I have bred and sometimes had in training horses for the turf.

It may be difficult, perhaps, to decide what constitutes a scandal in the Church; but I cannot think that in my endeavours to perpetuate this breed and thus improve the horses in this country, an object of general interest at the present moment—I have done anything to incur your lordship's censure ... if, therefore, I resign the livings which I hold within your lordship's diocese, it will be not from any consciousness of wrong, or from fear of any consequences which might ensue in the ecclesiastical courts, but simply because I desire to live the remainder of my days in peace and charity with all men ...[30]Reverend King died on 9 May 1875 shortly after resigning his clerical position.

[23] Apology did not recover her three-year-old form, finishing fourth in the Goodwood Cup and fifth in the Great Ebor Handicap Stakes at the York August meeting.