Overview
- Workers renovating Crystal Palace Park uncovered a time capsule under the bust of Sir Joseph Paxton on 15 April 2026 that held old coins and a handwritten note urging the finder to back a horse with a Santa- or Christmas-themed name.
- Site manager Josh Smalls followed the note’s instruction and placed a £20 bet on the horse Christmas Day, which won the Epsom Derby on Saturday at about 7-1 with trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ronan Whelan.
- The Crystal Palace Park Trust highlighted the link between the capsule and the race on social media, calling the outcome a prescient coincidence that drew wide local attention.
- Bromley mayor Christine Harris also placed a £15 bet after the find and said any winnings would be donated to local charities.
- The capsule’s coins were reported as winnings from the 1964 Derby winner Santa Claus, a detail that has deepened public interest in the park’s regeneration, the note’s provenance, and possible local museum or archive steps to preserve the find.