Octavius was owned during his racing career by his breeder,[2] the banker Robert Ladbroke, a friend of the Duke of York and Lord Egremont, whose horses were trained by Richard Boyce at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Ridden by Bill Arnull, Octavius moved up to dispute the lead on the turn into the straight with the favourite Comus and Lord Egremont's unnamed Gohanna colt.
[6] The filly Manuella, who started second favourite, was believed to have been "pulled" (deliberately prevented from winning) by her jockey Sam Chifney in order to lengthen her odds for The Oaks on the following day.
In the Swinley Stakes he ran a dead heat with the three-year-old Aladdin, but was beaten in a run-off after what the Sporting Magazine described as "a fine race".
[12] On 16 July, Octavius ran in his second dead-heat of the summer when he tied with the four-year-old Jesse in a one and a half mile race at Stockbridge Racecourse.
[13] As in the previous season, Octavius began 1814 with an unsuccessful run in a division of the Oatlands Stakes in April, finishing unplaced behind Pericles.
[14] At Newmarket's First Spring meeting on 28 April, he ran in a King's Plate, a three mile staying race in which he carried 154 pounds and finished second to Aquarius.