THE STORY OF ECLIPSE 273 



of our ultra " fashionable " horse dealers go so far 

 as to pluck out most of the hairs left on the 

 stump. 



In the west of England the latter trick is 

 indulged in more often than in the northern 

 counties or the midlands. 



Of all the famous sires whose names stand out 

 as household words in the annals of the horse in 

 history, but few bear comparison with the world- 

 renowned Eclipse. 



Bred, as already mentioned, by the Duke of 

 Cumberland, he took his name from the coincid- 

 ence that the great eclipse of 1764 was in progress 

 at the very hour of his birth. 



There does not seem to have been anything 

 particularly striking about the foal's appearance, 

 and certainly none imagined for a moment that 

 he would be likely to grow into one of the most 

 famous horses, if not the most famous horse, the 

 Turf has ever known. 



Until the age of five, Eclipse was not run in 

 public, but from the time he won his first race, 

 in May 1769, until his last appearance upon the 

 Turf, in October 1770, he was, never beaten, or 

 near being beaten. The long list of his triumphs 

 need not be given here, but Mr Theodore Cook 

 reminds us in his exhaustive work upon this 

 s 



