Otterington was a bay horse owned for the early part of his racing career by drove business owner and farmer, Ralph Rob of Catton, Yorkshire.
[1] Otterington's dam, an unnamed mare sired by Expectation, later produced a filly by Orville who became a successful broodmare, being the ancestor of the St Leger winner Blue Bonnet.
[5] Early in the straight Ottrington, ridden by Robert Johnson, emerged to dispute the lead with Herrington and Lord Strathmore's brown colt by Remembrancer.
[8] At York in May, Otterington began his four-year-old season by finishing sixth when favourite for a two mile sweepstakes and then ran fourth in the Constitution Stakes two days later.
[9] At Newcastle in June he defeated the filly Agnes Sorrel by half a head in a "fine race"[10] for a four mile sweepstakes to record his only success of the season, and then finished second when favourite for a King's Plate over the same course on the following day.
Later that month, Otterington returned to Doncaster for the St Leger meeting, where he ran twice without success on the opening day, finishing fourth in the Fitzwilliam Stakes and last of the three runners in a King's Plate.
[13] Otterington had passed into the ownership of Mr Skeet by the time of the Derby meeting at Epsom, where he was withdrawn after finishing second in the first heat of the Town Plate.