2 4 



In October 1741, Mr. Wilde wagered to ride 127 miles in nine hours 

 at the Curragh races in Ireland, he covered the distance in six hours 

 and twenty-one minutes with ten horses. 



Thornhill excelled him 1745 by riding from Stilton to London and 

 back and again to London, altogether '213 miles in eleven hours and 

 thirty-four minutes, which means, deducting the time for changing of 

 mounts, 20 miles per hour for eleven hours. 



Shoftoe in 1762 rode 50 1-4 in one hour and forty -nine minutes with 

 ten horses, of which he rode five a second time. In 1763 he won an ex- 

 traordinary wager; 100 miles were to be ridden each day for 29 con- 

 secutive days, and not more than 29 horses were to be used; he execu- 

 ted this, with 14 horses' and in one day rode 160 miles. 



Hull Squibbler furnished the greatest proof of strength and speed 

 of a race horse on record. In December 1786, he ran around the plain of 

 Newmarket, (23 miles) in 57 minutes and 10 seconds. 



Eclipse was sired by Marsk, who was a grandson of Bartlett's 

 Childers. Much was said of the beauty or rather the peculiarity of his 

 build. The considerable expansion, the slanting and low position of his 

 sho ulder was remarkable, as well as the length of his forehand, the broad 

 and well proportioned hind hand and the pronounced muscles of his 

 fore-arm and thigh, Nothing definite can be said of his speed as he 

 never had a competitor, who was fast enough to test it. He was raised 

 by the Duke of Cumberland and after the death of the latter he was sold to 

 Wildman, a sheep dealer for 75 guineas. Colonel O' Kelly bought a part 

 interest in the horse from Wildman. In the spring of the following 

 year, when his reputation was at its height, 0' Kelly wished to become 

 the sole owner and purchased the remaining share for 1000 guineas. 



He was thick winded and for that reason did not come upon the 

 race course until his fifth year. 



After Eclipse had distanced all competitors in a race in 1769, he beat 

 in the following spring Wentworth's Bucephalus, who had never be- 

 fore been beaten; two days after he distanced Pensioner and in August 

 of the same year won the great subscription race of York. As there 

 were no owners willing to run their horses against him, he concluded 

 his victorious course by whining the King's Pl^te on the 18th of Octo- 

 ber, 1779, over the course at Newmarket. He was never beaten, never 

 forfeited an entry fee and won for his owner more than 25,000 pounds- 



Later he was used for breeding; he was the sire of 334 winners, 

 and these realized for their owners over 160,000 pounds in money, not 

 counting plate and cups. The income, which the owner derived from 

 Eclipse must have been enormous. 



After he left the race course, Colonel O'Kelly was asked to sell him, 

 he demanded 25,000 pounds sterling, an annual rent of 500 pounds, as 

 long as he (Mr. O'Kelly) lived, and the privilege of his service for six 

 mares yearly. The stallion lived almost ten years longer and served for 

 a number of years at 50 guineas. The neglect of his hoofs caused dis- 

 ease and his value as a sire as well as that of his gets became dubious. 

 He died in February, 1789, at 25 years of age. 



