Caduceus was a New Zealand bred Standardbred racehorse who won races from impossible handicaps and he became affectionately known as the “The Mighty Atom”. Only a pony at 14.1 hands high when he began his racing career in 1953 as a 2yo at Timaru NZ running 5th in what would be his only 2yo start. However he won first up as a 3yo in Oct 1953 and won again 2 days later. As a 3yo Caduceus had 15 starts for 6 wins, including the Christchurch Derby Stakes, 3yo Champion Stakes and 3yo Futurity.

 

 Whilst he won many feature races from amazing handicaps his most notable win was the 1960 Inter Dominion Championship as a 9yo. Starting from a handicap of 36 yards and as a 3/1 favourite, with a world record crowd of 50,346 people packed into Harold Park Sydney “The Mighty Atom” won by a half-length.

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 Caduceus received one of the most deafening ovations ever heard on a racetrack, but whilst the cheers were still sounding, the news was announced that a protest was lodged by Bert Alley on Apmat against Caduceus being declared the winner. This produced a most unfavourable reaction from the crowd, strange in the circumstances for they had turned against their own local horse. However, the protest was dismissed and Caduceus was declared the winner of one of the most exciting sporting events ever held in Sydney.

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 In 1960 Caduceus went to the United States to compete in the annual Yonkers Raceway International Series and showed he was the equal of the top American horses. He was then leased to American interests, and as a 10yo was still winning races before he returned to New Zealand for stud duties where he sired 18 winners prior to his early death after only two seasons at stud.

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 Caduceus was an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame with the immortals Cardigan Bay, Harold Logan, Highland Fling, Johnny Globe and Ordeal. He ended up winning more than £100,000 in stake money, with gallopers Tulloch and Sailor's Guide as the only horses bred in Australia or New Zealand to have achieved this distinction at that time.