Manning's stable was a converted barn and was not noted for its hygiene: a stagnant pond "where frogs and beetles revel" stood close by the entrance and was blamed for causing outbreaks of fever and "malaria" among the inmates.

[4] Musjid was the subject of very positive rumours before his debut, but ran disappointingly and finished third to North Lincoln in the New Stakes at Ascot on 2 June.

[6] After his win at Stockbridge, the New Sporting Magazine noted that while he seemed to lack the pace to be a leading two-year-old, he looked like a potential Derby horse.

He did not run again before the Derby, but his impressive form in training gallops against a good colt named Gallus was enough to establish him as a leading contender,[6] and he was the subject of heavy wagering by his owner, who stood to win a reported £75,000.

[9] Several jockeys attempted to box in the favourite while others, including the rider of the joint-second-favourite The Promised Land, were alleged to have deliberately “pulled” their horses to ensure a win for the outsider Marionette.