Eclipse (1 April 1764 – 26 February 1789) was an undefeated 18th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse who won 18 races, including 11 King's Plates. He raced before the introduction of the British Classic Races, at a time when four-mile heat racing was the norm. He was considered the greatest racehorse of his time and the expression, "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere" entered the English vernacular as an expression of dominance.
After retiring from racing, he became a very successful sire, whose offspring included three Epsom Derby winners: Young Eclipse, Saltram and Serjeant. He was also a successful sire of sires, and his sire line has become dominant in the modern Thoroughbred worldwide through descendants such as Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector and Sunday Silence.
Breeding Eclipse was foaled during and named after the solar eclipse of 1764, at Keats Gore, near East Ilsley in Berkshire, not at the Cranbourne Lodge stud of his breeder, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, as many believe.Thoroughbred Bloodlines: Eclipse Retrieved on 21 August 2011 This commonly recorded error is because of the prestige of Cranbourne Lodge. It was at Cranbourne that his sire, the Jockey Club Plate winner Marske (by Squirt from The Ruby Mare) stood. His dam, Spilletta (foaled 1749), was by Regulus, who was by the Godolphin Arabian. Eclipse's male-line great-grandsire was Bartlett's Childers, and his male-line great-great-grandsire was the Darley 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.
Eclipse was a bright chestnut with a narrow blaze running down his face. He had a white stocking on his right hind leg. Eclipse was a big horse for his time, just over , and was an inch higher at the rump than at the withers. He was strong, sound and fast. He was sometimes criticized for having a large, unattractive head. His difficult temperament was well documented, and might have led to him being gelded. Instead he was turned over to a rough-rider, who worked him hard all day, and at night as well on poaching expeditions if the stories are to be believed. This treatment, rather than souring his disposition, settled Eclipse enough to allow him to be raced, although his jockeys never attempted to hold him.
Racing career Before Eclipse's first start at the age of five, a trial was arranged at Epsom (although the location has also been given as Mickleham). Bookmakers, trying to verify whether rumours about the horse were true, showed up but were too late — the trial had already been run. On their way home, though, they encountered an old woman who told them she had seen a horse with a white leg being chased by another, who she did not think would catch the horse with the white leg, even if he pursued him to the end of the world. Accordingly, when Eclipse started in his first race on 1769, a £50 Plate for horses who had never won, he was 4/1 on favourite. The race consisted of three heats of four miles each. Eclipse won easily.
After his second victory in a race in May 1769, Dennis O'Kelly purchased Eclipse in two stages. in June 1769 for 700 guineas, 50 percent in April 1770 for 1,000 guineas).Montgomery, E.S, "The Thoroughbred", Arco, New York, 1973 Supposedly, at this time O'Kelly used the famous phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere", before making his bets for this race, although some sources have him saying this for the second heat of the horse's debut, referencing how at the time a horse that finished more than 200-240 yards behind would be considered 'distanced' and subsequently disqualified., quoted in: 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 and covered O'Kelly's bet.
His toughest challenge was a match race versus the highly regarded Bucephalus in April 1770. Bucephalus was game, but Eclipse was the easy winner. In August, he took on top class horses Tortoise and Bellario in the Great Subscription Purse at York, but at odds of 20/1 on, routed both of them, being over a furlong in front after two miles, and winning in a canter.
Eclipse won 18 races, including 11 King's Plates, supposedly without ever being fully extended and proving far superior to all competition. During his racing career, Eclipse ran over and walked 1,400 miles to race meetings across England.
Eclipse is still remembered in the phrase "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere", snowcloned as "[name of competitor] 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 Britain.
He is attested to have covered 83 feet per second at top speed, and covered 25 feet in a single stride.
Race record + Eclipse's race record Date Race name Distance Course Prize Odds Runners Place Runner-up Ref £50 Race4 mile heatsEpsom Downs050 £500.25 1/451Gower £50 Plate2 mile heatsAscot050 £500.125 1/821Crême de Barbade King's Plate4 mile heatsWinchester105100 gns1.25 5/451Turner's Slouch 50 Guinea PlateWinchester05350 gnsN/A11Walkover King's PlateSalisbury105100 gnsN/A11Walkover City Silver Bowl4 mile heatsSalisbury03130 gns0.1 1/1031Sulphur King's PlateCanterbury105100 gnsN/A11Walkover King's Plate4 milesLewes105100 gns0.1 1/1021Kingston King's Plate3 milesLichfield0.05 1/2021Tardy Match raceNewmarket0.67 4/621Bucephalus King's Plate3.5 mile heatsNewmarket420100 gns0.1 1/1041Diana King's PlateGuildfordN/A11Walkover King's PlateNottinghamN/A11Walkover King's PlateYorkN/A11Walkover Subscription Purse4York319£3190.05 1/2031Tortoise King's PlateLincoln Heath105100 gnsN/A11Walkover 150 Guineas RaceNewmarket157150 gns0.014 1/7021Corsican King's PlateNewmarketN/A11Walkover
In ten of the King's Plates, Eclipse carried 12 st, or 168 pounds, the highest weight (by one pound) that was carried by a winner in England up to 1840.
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 £158,000Barrie, Douglas M., The Australian Bloodhorse, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956 (although the number varies with different reports, ranging from 325 to 400).
Notable progeny
s = stallion, m = mare
Foaled Name Sex Major Wins 1772 Planet s Jockey Club Plate, Weights and Scales Plate, 1200 Guineas Stakes 1773 Potoooooooo (Pot-8-Os) s 1200 Guineas Stakes, Clermont Cup (x3), Jockey Club Plate (x3), Newmarket Whip (x2), Craven Stakes 1774 Jupiter s 100 guineas sweep at Newmarket 1774 Satellite s Guildford King's Plate, Winchester King's Plate 1775 King Fergus s 500 guineas sweep at Bath 1778 Joe Andrews s Stand Plate at York 1778 Mercury s Lewes King's Plate 1778 Young Eclipse s Epsom Derby 1780 Dungannon s Craven Stakes 1780 Saltram s Epsom Derby 1780 Volunteer s 1200 Guineas Stakes, Cumberland Subscription Stakes 1781 Serjeant s Epsom Derby, 1200 Guineas Stakes 1782 Alexander s Ran at Newmarket in the late 1780s 1784 Annette m Epsom Oaks 1784 Don Quixote s 1784 Pegasus s Macaroni Stakes
Eclipse's daughters include Horatia, one of only twelve mares to produce two Derby winners: Archduke and Paris. She also produced two-time Doncaster Cup winner Stamford. Other daughters of Eclipse produced Derby winners John Bull and Skyscraper, and St. Leger winners Tartar, Remembrancer and Phoenomenon. Chanticleer, Haphazard, and Weasel are also noted as important runners out of Eclipse mares.Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 – Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
Eclipse was never the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, although he finished in second place 11 times, usually behind Herod. A book published in 1970 stated that the Royal Veterinary College had determined 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 ancestor of "95pc of contemporary thoroughbreds" or of "nearly every living thoroughbred."
This modern dominance comes mainly through a sire line established by Potoooooooo, although King Fergus would also found another successful branch leading to Ribot. Potoooooooo's grandson Waxy would lead the sire list in 1811, and Waxy's grandson Birdcatcher in turn led the sire list in 1852 and 1856. Birdcatcher's grandson Stockwell outdid them both, becoming leading sire seven times. Stockwell's grandson Bend Or founded a line that led four generations later to Phalaris The Phalaris line has several branches, notably through Nearco and Native Dancer.
In Great Britain and Ireland, the Eclipse sire line includes modern leading sires such as Sadler's Wells, Danehill, Galileo and Frankel. In North America, leading sires in his line include Bold Ruler (sire of Secretariat), Mr. Prospector (ancestor of American Pharoah), Danzig, Storm Cat, A.P. Indy, Giant's Causeway and Tapit. In Japan, Eclipse's sire line includes leading sires Sunday Silence, King Kamehameha and Deep Impact, while in Australia leading sires from his line include Redoute's Choice, Encosta De Lago and Fastnet Rock.
Sire line tree A sire line is the term given to the bloodlines and male descendants from a single stallion.
Eclipse Planet Potoooooooo Coriander Alderman Asparagus Teddy the Grinder Waxy Shock Pavilion Sir Walter Raleigh Sasenagh Ipswich Waxy Pope The Dandy Prendergast Starch Canteen Sligo Trumpeter Mount Eagle Skylark The Cardinal Crispin Whalebone Waverley Peter Fin Moses Longwaist Camel Chateau Margaux Flexible Stumps Lap-Dog Defence Merman Sir Hercules The Exquisite Cetus Spaniel Vestris The Sea Woful Theodore Wanton Blucher Quinola Whisker Abron Caccia Patti Mustachio Swiss Catterick Memnon Coulon Economist The Colonel Emancipation Lawrie Todd Perion Whisker Milton Inferior Anti-Gallican Champion Tyrant Vespasian Worthy Podargus Musician Jupiter Ganymede Thunderbolt Jupiter Sir Walter Satellite King Fergus Honest Tom Overton Cockboat Cockfighter Gilliver Merryfield John O'Groat Rolla Alonzo Poor Jack Young Traveller Ormond Beningbrough Ashton Blue Devil Harefoot Orville Octavius Muley Belville Dinmont Fulford Don Juan Ebor Fitz Orville Allegro Master Henry Andrew Richard Bizarre Emilius Ganymede Vargas Pollio Delville Rygantino Thorn Bedalian Hylas Phlebotomist Scud Sam Steel Trap Sailor Actaeon Windle Trophonius Prince of Orange Brother to Overton Deserter Hambletonian Camillus Oiseau Magistrate Rhadamanthus Consul Whitelock Blacklock Camerton Bay Camerton Anticipation Garswood Johnny Master Jackey Warter Vertumnus Baronet Baronet Boudrow Obscurity Bacchus Bompard Joe Andrews Dick Andrews Cwrw Tramp Bay Burton Barefoot Lottery Brother to Bay Burton Speculation Zinganee Tyke Donegani Little Red Rover Liverpool St Giles Dangerous Scroggins Cornborough Biddick Sir Richard Merrymaker Mercury Precipitate Petworth Bobtail Bobadil Tag Hackney Langton Langtonian Sir Reginald Silver Gohanna Cardinal Beaufort Cerberus Captain Candid Golumpus Beverley Catton Otterington Uncle Toby Savernake Aimwell Canopus Scarecrow Centaur Hedley Idle Boy Frolic Prince Leopold Trafalgar Brighton Coriolanus Election Manfred Regent Gustavus Manzeppa Rufus Cestrian Scorpion Interloper The Dandy Punic Robin Adair Young Gohanna Legal Tender Wanderer Gaberlunzie Rasselas Young Wanderer Belleropheron Skim Hermes Young Eclipse