ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT 5 



that a number of Italian terms and phrases were 

 current in this country in relation to horses ; as will be 

 found on reference to the book of Thomas Blunder- 

 ville, Master of the Horse to Lord Leicester in the 

 reign of Elizabeth, and one of the first writers of 

 authority who published works on the subject. 



Eclipse was the grandson of the Darley Arabian ; he 

 became the sire of three of the first five winners of the 

 Derby, and thus is gained something like a direct con- 

 nection between the earliest days of recognised racing 

 and the present time. It is said of Eclipse that he 

 galloped at the rate of a mile a minute ; and the state- 

 ment is valuable as showing how utterly untrustworthy 

 and ridiculous the records of sport in the last century 

 must be. No horse has ever galloped a mile in that 

 time with half as much again added to it. There is a 

 doubt as to whether a mile in i minute 35! seconds 

 has ever been done (though it is claimed for an 

 American colt named Salvator) ; and this would lead, 

 if one were tempted into it, to a discussion as to the 

 relative speed and stamina of the thoroughbred horse 

 now and a century ago — a profitless theme, as there 

 can be no better basis of argument than general belief. 

 That belief is that the horse of to-day is speedier than 

 his predecessor was, but less gifted with staying power; 

 though as to the latter article of faith opinions again 

 differ. The crop of thoroughbred horses is now 

 annually so enormous that there must inevitably be a 

 large proportion of weeds ; the more so as, for many 



