26 Making the American Thoroughbred 



owner to gradually increase the fee for his service until he 

 stood at 50 guineas, the number of mares being limited to 

 twenty-five, besides those of his owner, Mr. Fenwick 

 of Northumberland. From 1764-1786, inclusive, 174 of 

 Matchem's get won $670,870 in specie, independent of 

 valuable cups and subscriptions. As a stallion he profited 

 his owner $75,480. John Randolph wrote of Matchem: 

 "He may be truly said to have earned more money than 

 any other horse in the world. He was the greatest stallion 

 ever known. He died February 21, 1781." He got one 

 winner of the Oaks and one winner of the St. Leger. His 

 son most distinguished as a sire was Conductor, sire of 

 both Imperator and Trumpator. 



(3) THE ECLIPSE LINE 



O' KELLY'S ECLIPSE was out of Spiletta (by Regulus) 

 out of Mother Western by a son of Snake full brother 

 to Williams' Squirrel. Mother Western's dam was by 

 Old Montagu; her grandam by Hautboy (by D'Arcy's 

 White Turk), out of a daughter of Brimmer. Thus 

 Eclipse inherited the blood of the two most distinguished 

 Arabians. 



He was foaled, the property of the Duke of Cumber- 

 land, during the great Eclipse of 1764. At the sale of the 

 Duke's stud a man named Wildman, "a sporting sheep- 

 salesman," purchased Eclipse, then a colt, for 75 guineas. 

 Just after his victorious maiden race of 4-mile heats, on 

 May 3, 1769, Col. O' Kelly purchased one-half interest 

 in him for 650 guineas and, after his eleventh race, in 1 769 

 or 1770, purchased the other half for 1,000 guineas. 

 Henceforth he was known as O' Kelly's Eclipse. He won 

 eleven King's plates, ten of which weighed 168 pounds 

 each. 



Carrying 168 pounds, 42 more than the standard of 



