.gif)
Eclipse (horse)
Encyclopedia
Eclipse was an outstanding, undefeated 18th-century British
Thoroughbred
racehorse who was later a phenomenal success as a sire.
of 1764, at the Cranbourne Lodge
Stud of his breeder, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
. It was at this stud that his sire, the Jockey Club Plate winner, Marske
(by Squirt from The Ruby Mare) stood, his dam, Spiletta (foaled 1749) was by Regulus
, by the Godolphin Arabian
. Eclipse was a brother to the successful broodmare, Proserpine. They were inbred to Snake in the fourth generation of their pedigree. After the death of Prince William in 1765, Eclipse was sold for 75 guineas
to a sheep dealer from Smithfield
, William Wildman.
. After his second victory in a race in May 1769 the Irish adventurer Colonel Dennis O'Kelly purchased Eclipse in two parts in June 1769 for 650 guineas, 50 percent in April 1770 for 1,100 guineas). Supposedly, at this time Captain Denis O'Kelly used the famous phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere," before making his bets for this race. At that time, a horse that was more than 240 yards behind the lead was said to be nowhere. His jockey
was John Oakley, supposedly the only jockey who could handle Eclipse's temperamental manner and running style of holding his nose very close to the ground. Eclipse won the race easily.
Eclipse won 18 races, including 11 King's Plates, supposedly without ever being fully extended and proving far superior to all competition. During this time he raced over and walked 1,400 miles to race meetings across England.
Eclipse is still remembered in the phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere", referring to any dominating victory. This phrase is occasionally seen in American print media (most often in newspaper sport sections), but is more common in Great Britain.
Overall, Eclipse sired 344 winners of more than ₤158,000 (although the number varies with different reports, ranging from 325 to 400). He sired famous horses such as Annette (Epsom Oaks
), Young Eclipse (Epsom Derby
), Saltram (Epsom Derby), Volunteer, Sergeant (Epsom Derby), Pot-8-os
, King Fergus, Mercury, Joe Andrews, Alexander, Don Quixote, Dungannon, and Pegasus. His daughters produced Archduke, Chanticleer, Haphazard, John Bull, Meteora, Phoenomenon, Skyscraper, Stamford, Tartar, Weasel, and Remembrancer.
He was never the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, although he finished in second place 11 times, usually behind Herod
. The Royal Veterinary College
determined in 1970 that nearly 80% of Thoroughbred racehorses
had Eclipse in their pedigree
. That percentage has naturally increased with time and the inevitable inbreeding in the Thoroughbred population. More recently, it has been estimated that Eclipse is not only somewhere in the pedigree, but a tail-male ancestor of "95pc of contemporary thoroughbreds" or of "nearly every living thoroughbred."
on 1789, at the age . His skeleton is now housed at the Royal Veterinary College
, Hertfordshire, in the Learning Resource Centre named after him, although it cannot be said for certain whether all the bones displayed are really from Eclipse. His hooves
were made into inkstand
s, although the fact that there are at least five Eclipse-hoof inkstands casts some doubt about the authenticity of some. Hairs from his tail have also been used for decorations.
(NTRA), Daily Racing Form
and the National Turf Writers Association
, who select all finalists at the end of the year. The most prestigious of these Awards is the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
title.
The Eclipse Stakes
is a Group 1
flat race in the United Kingdom for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of 1¼ miles and 7 yards (2,018 metres) at Sandown Park.
Eclipse Press is the book-publishing division of Blood-Horse Publications
, an international publishing house for top Thoroughbred and general equine magazines, books, videos, CD-ROMs and annual references.
Sheffield-based Eclipse tools, now part of Spear & Jackson
, took their name and their Eclipse first... slogan in 1909 from the horse.
The life story of Eclipse inspired the novel O'Kelly's Eclipse by screenwriter Arthur Weiss
.
Nicholas Clee's Eclipse: The Story of the Rogue, the Madam and the Horse That Changed Racing is a biography of Eclipse and of the people connected to him, among them the gambler Dennis O'Kelly and the brothel madam Charlotte Hayes
. Other biographies of Eclipse include Michael Church's Eclipse: The Horse, The Race, The Awards (2000), and Theodore Cook's 1907 book Eclipse and O'Kelly.
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who was later a phenomenal success as a sire.
Breeding
Eclipse was foaled during and named after the solar eclipseSolar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
of 1764, at the Cranbourne Lodge
Cranbourne Lodge
Cranbourne Lodge was a keeper's lodge for the royal hunting grounds of Cranbourne Chase, once adjoining but now part of Windsor Great Park in the English county of Berkshire...
Stud of his breeder, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
. It was at this stud that his sire, the Jockey Club Plate winner, Marske
Marske (horse)
Marske was a Thoroughbred racehorse, best known as siring the great Eclipse.-Racing career:Bred by John Hutton at Marske Hall, Yorkshire, he was traded to the Prince William, Duke of Cumberland as a foal for a chestnut Arabian.In 1754, he won the Jockey Club Plate against Pytho and Brilliant,...
(by Squirt from The Ruby Mare) stood, his dam, Spiletta (foaled 1749) was by Regulus
Regulus (horse)
Regulus was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse stallion foaled in 1739. He was bred in England by Lord Chedworth.Regulus was by the Godolphin Arabian, his dam, the noted Grey Robinson, by the Bald Galloway, Sister To Old Country Wench by Snake, out of Old Grey Wilkes, a daughter of Old...
, by the Godolphin Arabian
Godolphin Arabian
The Godolphin Arabian , also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse who was one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock...
. Eclipse was a brother to the successful broodmare, Proserpine. They were inbred to Snake in the fourth generation of their pedigree. After the death of Prince William in 1765, Eclipse was sold for 75 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
to a sheep dealer from Smithfield
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
, William Wildman.
Racing record
Eclipse started racing at the age of five on 1769 in EpsomEpsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
. After his second victory in a race in May 1769 the Irish adventurer Colonel Dennis O'Kelly purchased Eclipse in two parts in June 1769 for 650 guineas, 50 percent in April 1770 for 1,100 guineas). Supposedly, at this time Captain Denis O'Kelly used the famous phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere," before making his bets for this race. At that time, a horse that was more than 240 yards behind the lead was said to be nowhere. His jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
was John Oakley, supposedly the only jockey who could handle Eclipse's temperamental manner and running style of holding his nose very close to the ground. Eclipse won the race easily.
Eclipse won 18 races, including 11 King's Plates, supposedly without ever being fully extended and proving far superior to all competition. During this time he raced over and walked 1,400 miles to race meetings across England.
Eclipse is still remembered in the phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere", referring to any dominating victory. This phrase is occasionally seen in American print media (most often in newspaper sport sections), but is more common in Great Britain.
Stud record
In 1771, Eclipse was retired to stud after a racing career of about 17 months due to lack of competition as nobody was betting on rival horses. Initially he stood at O'Kelly's Clay Hill Stud, near Epsom (Surrey), for a fee of 10 guineas which rose rapidly to 25 and then to 50 guineas a mare. During 1788, he was relocated to Cannons Stud, Edgware (Middlesex).Overall, Eclipse sired 344 winners of more than ₤158,000 (although the number varies with different reports, ranging from 325 to 400). He sired famous horses such as Annette (Epsom Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
), Young Eclipse (Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
), Saltram (Epsom Derby), Volunteer, Sergeant (Epsom Derby), Pot-8-os
Potoooooooo
Potoooooooo or Pot-8-Os was a famous 18th century Thoroughbred racehorse who defeated some of the greatest racehorses and later became an influential sire....
, King Fergus, Mercury, Joe Andrews, Alexander, Don Quixote, Dungannon, and Pegasus. His daughters produced Archduke, Chanticleer, Haphazard, John Bull, Meteora, Phoenomenon, Skyscraper, Stamford, Tartar, Weasel, and Remembrancer.
He was never the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, although he finished in second place 11 times, usually behind Herod
Herod (horse)
Herod , formerly King Herod, later shortened to just Herod in common usage, was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse, along with Matchem and Eclipse...
. The Royal Veterinary College
Royal Veterinary College
The Royal Veterinary College is a veterinary school located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. The RVC was founded in 1791 and joined the University of London in 1949...
determined in 1970 that nearly 80% of Thoroughbred racehorses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
had Eclipse in their pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
. That percentage has naturally increased with time and the inevitable inbreeding in the Thoroughbred population. More recently, it has been estimated that Eclipse is not only somewhere in the pedigree, but a tail-male ancestor of "95pc of contemporary thoroughbreds" or of "nearly every living thoroughbred."
Death
Eclipse died due to an attack of colicHorse colic
Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical sign rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the gastrointestinal tract. The most common forms of colic...
on 1789, at the age . His skeleton is now housed at the Royal Veterinary College
Royal Veterinary College
The Royal Veterinary College is a veterinary school located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. The RVC was founded in 1791 and joined the University of London in 1949...
, Hertfordshire, in the Learning Resource Centre named after him, although it cannot be said for certain whether all the bones displayed are really from Eclipse. His hooves
Hoof
A hoof , plural hooves or hoofs , is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick nail rolled around the tip of the toe. The weight of the animal is normally borne by both the sole...
were made into inkstand
Inkstand
An inkstand is a stand or tray used to house writing instruments, with a tightly-capped inkwell and a sand shaker for rapid drying. A penwiper would often be included, and from the mid-nineteenth century, a compartment for steel nibs, which replaced quill pens...
s, although the fact that there are at least five Eclipse-hoof inkstands casts some doubt about the authenticity of some. Hairs from his tail have also been used for decorations.
Honours
The Eclipse Awards are American Thoroughbred horse-racing awards named after Eclipse. They honour the champions of the sport, and are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing AssociationNational Thoroughbred Racing Association
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic...
(NTRA), Daily Racing Form
Daily Racing Form
The Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
and the National Turf Writers Association
National Turf Writers Association
The National Turf Writers Association is an American association of journalists, columnists and other writers involved with reporting on the horse racing industry...
, who select all finalists at the end of the year. The most prestigious of these Awards is the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
title.
The Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
is a Group 1
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
flat race in the United Kingdom for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of 1¼ miles and 7 yards (2,018 metres) at Sandown Park.
Eclipse Press is the book-publishing division of Blood-Horse Publications
Blood-Horse Publications
Blood-Horse Publications is an American multimedia publishing house focused on horse-related magazines.Blood-Horse Publications is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Their book-publishing arm is Eclipse Press...
, an international publishing house for top Thoroughbred and general equine magazines, books, videos, CD-ROMs and annual references.
Sheffield-based Eclipse tools, now part of Spear & Jackson
Spear & Jackson
-Formation:In 1760, Alexander Spear and John Love formed a company in Sheffield called Spear & Love. In 1814, John Spear, the nephew of Alexander, took on an apprentice called Sam Jackson. In 1830, the partnership Spear & Jackson was formed.-Eclipse:...
, took their name and their Eclipse first... slogan in 1909 from the horse.
The life story of Eclipse inspired the novel O'Kelly's Eclipse by screenwriter Arthur Weiss
Arthur Weiss
Arthur Weiss was an American script writer for two decades on action/adventure TV shows like Mission: Impossible, Mannix, The Fugitive, Super Friends, The Time Tunnel and Sea Hunt. His most famous creation was the script for the movie Flipper in 1963, which became a TV series and was remade as a...
.
Nicholas Clee's Eclipse: The Story of the Rogue, the Madam and the Horse That Changed Racing is a biography of Eclipse and of the people connected to him, among them the gambler Dennis O'Kelly and the brothel madam Charlotte Hayes
Charlotte Hayes
Charlotte Hayes was a highly successful brothel keeper in early Georgian London, and the owner of some of the city's most luxurious brothels in and around King's Place, in St James's.-Biography:...
. Other biographies of Eclipse include Michael Church's Eclipse: The Horse, The Race, The Awards (2000), and Theodore Cook's 1907 book Eclipse and O'Kelly.