Hammerkop, Spion Kop's dam was a top-class staying racehorse who won the Yorkshire Oaks in 1903 and the Cesarewitch Handicap in 1905, but produced no other winners in a long stud career.

The stable jockey Arthur Smith, who had rejected the eventual winner Grand Parade in the 1919 Derby, was instructed to ride Sarchedon at Epsom,[7] with the mount on Spion Kop being given to the American Frank O'Neill.

[9] Tetratema went into an early lead and set an extremely fast pace as he was challenged by Abbot's Trace (ridden by Steve Donoghue),[10] while O'Neill settled Spion Kop well back in the field.

Tetratema dropped back soon after half way and Abbot's Trace led into the straight as Spion Kop made rapid progress from the rear.

Spion Kop took the lead three furlongs from the finish and ran on strongly up the straight to win by two lengths from Archaic and Orpheus in a new race record time of 2:34.8.

[10] Spion Kop then attempted to emulate his sire by travelling to France for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, a much anticipated event, which, with a first prize of £12,000, was the most valuable race in the world at the time.

He prepared for the St Leger by taking on Abbott's Trace in a two-runner race for the Derbyshire Three-Year-Old Plate at Derby and was beaten a short head in a "desperate" finish.

[19] Spion Kop was retired to his owner's Old Connell Stud, near Newbridge, County Kildare, where he became a "respectable" sire[2] with a clear tendency to produce runners with stamina.