Petronius (horse)

[4] On 26 September, Petronius was one of fourteen colts and fillies to contest the thirty-third running of the St Leger at Doncaster.

Ridden by Ben Smith, he started a 20/1 outsider, with Sir Mark Sykes' filly Theresa being made the 3/1 favourite.

Petronius' long odds were partly explained by a rumour that he had thrown his jockey and eaten a great deal of clover shortly before the race.

[12] On 14 September Petronius ran at Pontefract where he started 6/4 favourite for the Members Plate a race run in a series of heats, with the prize going to the first horse to win twice.

[13] Two weeks later, Petronius contested another race in two-mile heats at the Doncaster St Leger meeting.

He started at odds of 7/2 and finished third of the four runners behind Mowbray and Whitworth after what was described by the Sporting Magazine as "one of the finest races ever run".