[2] The racing commentator "The Druid" described Whisker's physique "as near perfection as a horse could be"[3][4] and his only fault was that he was "a little calf-kneed" but was "equally likely to get a racer, hunter, machiner or a hack.

"[5] Whisker has been lauded as the "handsomest" of Waxy's offspring[6] and his appearance was described more favorably than his brother Whalebone, who was short and had a "Turkish pony-look.

[17] At the start of the race, General Gower's colt Busto "made severe play," taking the lead after Tattenham Corner and remaining the frontrunner until "within two-hundred yards of the Ending-Post"[18] when he was overtaken by his stablemate Raphael.

Raphael maintained the lead in the stretch until "the last two or three strides" when Whisker (ridden by Tom Goodisson) "came up and won by about half a head.

[19] On 16 October, Whisker won 200 guineas after he defeated the colt Equator in a mile-long match race held at Newmarket.

[24] At Newmarket on 29 April, Whisker beat Lord Darlington's colt Paulus in a mile-long match race, winning 200 guineas.

[26] Whisker finished fourth in a 200-guinea sweepstakes race, losing to the horse Bourbon and the colts Sir Thomas and Quinola.

A few weeks later running in Lord Darlington's name, Whisker was beaten in a match race by his former rival Equator at the Houghton Meeting.

[29] A few days later, Whisker won the Handicap Sweepstakes, beating the filly Duenna and the colts Fandango and Equator.

[11] At Newmarket, Whisker was third in the Fifty Pound subscription stakes, losing to the four-year-old colt Skim and the horse Fugitive.

[33] The next day, Whisker finished third in a handicap race, losing to the colt Merrymaker and the filly Leopoldine (the full-sister to 1816 Derby winner Prince Leopold).