Who named Tim Tam biscuits after the 1958 Kentucky Derby winner?

Ross Arnott named Tim Tam biscuits after the 1958 Kentucky Derby winner, the racehorse Tim Tam.

Arnott’s product developer Ian Norris had encountered the British Penguin biscuit and wanted to create a better version. The resulting chocolate biscuit was introduced in Australia in 1964, with two malted biscuits, a chocolate cream filling and a chocolate coating.

Ross Arnott supplied the name after attending the 1958 Kentucky Derby. Tim Tam, the winning horse, had a memorable name that Arnott considered suitable for the planned biscuit line. Ian Norris is therefore connected with creating the biscuit, but not with choosing its name.

The name is sometimes confused with John or William Arnott because Arnott’s is the company behind the product. “Tim Tam” refers specifically to the biscuit brand, while the Kentucky Derby connection explains the unusual name. The snack later became known internationally, including through U.S. sales and the popular Tim Tam Slam drinking trick.