1857: two-year-old season

Beadsman was not highly tested as a two-year-old. He ran twice at Goodwood, and although he failed to win, he showed some promise. On 28 July in the £100 Ham Stakes he dead-heated for third place behind the filly Blanche of Middlebie. Two days later, on Goodwood Cup day, he finished third to the easy winner Toxophilite in a £200 Sweepstakes.^[6]

1858: three-year-old season

Beadsman began his three-year-old season by beating Star of the East by a neck in a race at Newmarket in early April.^[7] He returned to the same course two weeks later for the second spring meeting and won twice. On 21 April he beat an unnamed colt by Collingwood out of Sneer to win a £100 Sweepstakes. Two days later he was moved up in class to establish himself as a Derby contender in the Newmarket Stakes. He made most of the running and after what Bell's Life described "one of the finest races ever seen"^[8] finished in a dead-heat with Eclipse (by Orlando). Beadsman’s stable had another Derby contender in the 2000 Guineas winner Fitz-Roland and opinion concerning the colts’ relative merits was divided. Manning felt that Fitz-Roland was better, but Hawley favoured Beadsman and the stable jockey John Wells, was undecided.^[2] Later stories claim that Hawley did everything he could to express public confidence in Fitz-Roland, causing Beadsman to be ignored and his odds for the Derby to lengthen.^[9]

At Epsom on 19 May, Beadsman was ridden by Wells and started at odds of 10/1 in a field of twenty-three runners.^[10] Toxophilite, owned by the Prime Minister Lord Derby started favourite^[11] for the race which took place on an unusually hot day and attracted the customary huge crowd. Beadsman was settled just behind the leaders and turned into the straight in fourth place behind Fitz-Roland, Toxophilite and Eclipse. Fitz-Roland soon weakened and Toxophilite looked the likely winner until Wells produced Beadsman with a challenge inside the last quarter mile. Beadsman took the lead inside the final furlong and won comfortably by a length from Toxophilite with The Hadji staying on strongly for third. Many of the jockeys lost weight during the race and when Wells was checked afterwards he was found to be slightly below his registered weight. He had to add Beadsman’s bridle to the judge’s scales before he could pass the weigh-in.^[12]

In his only race after the Derby, Beadsman won a Triennial Stakes at Stockbridge Racecourse. He was entered for at least three match races in the autumn, including one against the Cesarewitch winner Prioress,^[13] but none of these happened as either Hawley or the owner of Beadsman’s rival withdrew and paid a forfeit.^[14]