Lord Fury was bred in New South Wales and sired by the imported Irish stallion Edwardsii. He was owned by Sydney businessman Norman Cohen and his wife Rachel and trained by Frank Lewis. As a four-year-old he ran third in the 1961 Epsom Handicap. With a light weight, he then finished second to Summer Fair in the Caulfield Cup.
In the Melbourne Cup, jockey Ray Selkrig sent him to the front as the barrier opened. He led by about four lengths the first time past the straight and was never headed, beating Grand Print and Dhaulagiri.