Tarrare was a dark bay horse, standing 16.1 hands high,[2] bred by his owner Richard Lumley-Saunderson, 6th Earl of Scarbrough.

Starting at odds of 20/1 he won from Lord Fitzwilliam's colt Mulatto,[4] also a son of Catton[3][5] Tarrare was ridden in the St. Leger by jockey George Nelson.

He started odds on favourite for a two-mile sweepstakes but was beaten by Jerry, the 1824 St Leger winner.

[7] In September he returned to the site of his St Leger victory and finished unplaced behind Mulatto in the Doncaster Cup.

Tarrare began his career as a stallion at Stockwell in Surrey, where he stood at a fee of ten guineas in 1829.