Cremorne, described by The Field as "low, lengthy... wiry and muscular" horse with a strong and smooth action,[1] was bred by his owner, Henry Savile at Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire.

Parmesan won the Gold Vase at Royal Ascot and became a highly successful stallion siring, in addition to Cremorne, the 1871 Derby winner Favonius.

Following his attack of colic in autumn, he finished third to Prince Charlie in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in October, although he won a Two-Year-Old Plate at the same meeting.

[7] Ridden by Charles Maidment, Cremorne tracked the leaders before being moved up to third place and then challenging for the lead just before the final turn.

Entering the straight, Maidment sent the colt to the front[1] from the early leader Westland as Prince Charlie, having briefly looked a danger, dropped away beaten.

Cremorne's earnings of £7,650 (not including the Grand Prix) were the highest for any British-trained horse that season and helped his sire Parmesan to third place in the list of leading sires[13] On his four-year-old debut Cremorne finished second in the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom in April, when he carried top weight of 128 pounds.

Opposed by a strong field, Cremorne took the lead half a mile from the finish and drew away to win easily by eight lengths from Flageolet,[15] with Revigny and the Fillies' Triple Crown winner Hannah among those further back.

[17] He was nevertheless entered in the Goodwood Cup in July, where he cantered round well behind the other two runners and walked over the line to finish tailed off in third place.

[3] In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred racing experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th century.

Cremorne's best progeny were the Grand Prix de Paris winner Thurio and the filly Kermesse, who was the leading British two-year-old of 1880.

Without regular exercise and allowed to indulge his appetite for food, Cremorne became grossly overweight and died of "rupture of the heart" in January 1883.