ECLIPSE" AND THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED. 



39 



SttL 



than a yearling, to Mr. William Wildman, an astute salesman in Leadenhall Market, who 

 had a stud at Mickleham (whence, perhaps, the thorn-tree legend) and knew a good 

 thing when he saw one. He came late for the sale ; found it had begun too early; 

 and insisted on the lots being resold, which was accordingly done. Being in no 

 hurry to " realise," and having no large outlay of capital for which to recoup himself 

 as soon as possible, the meat-salesman conferred an inestimable benefit upon the 

 Turf by keeping Eclipse till 1769 before he raced him, and by patiently finding the 

 right jockey when the colt first showed temper. Had Eclipse been born in the year 

 of grace and enlightenment 1901, there is every probability that he would have been 

 raced off his legs for all the two-year-old prizes in sight, and so "treated " for "vice" 

 that he would 

 never have had any 

 posterity at all. 

 The sportsmen of 

 the twentieth cen- 

 tury may therefore 

 perhaps reconsider 

 the verdict that 

 has been some- 

 what too hastily 

 passed on the 

 days of Dennis 

 O' Kelly. 



It was on a 



3rd of May that Eclipse first faced the starter as a five-year-old at Epsom, 

 8st., six-year-olds gst. 3lbs., four-mile heats. John Oakley had nothing to do 

 but sit quite still. He beat Mr. Fortescue's Gower (by Sweepstakes), Mr. Castle's 

 Cade (6 years), Mr. Jennings' Trial (by Biank\ and Mr. Quick's Plum: In the 

 second heat, O' Kelly, who had speedily realised that "something good " was on 

 hand, made the famous bet that he would place all the horses. He won, with 

 " Eclipse first, and the rest nowhere," for the chestnut distanced all his competitors 

 with the greatest ease, and in the last mile fairly ran away with his jockey till he 

 passed the winning-post. Before the i 3 th of June O'Kelly had bought a half-share 

 in him from Wildman for 650 guineas, and on that day he won the King's Plate at 

 Winchester for six-year-olds at last., giving away a year to Mr. Turner's Slouch^ 



Mr. Meredith's " Shakespeare " by 

 " Hobgoblin." 



