232 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



winners, who took among thorn a sura of £1G0,000, 

 besides a number of cups and phates. His career on 

 the turf extended to one year and five months (and, 

 be it noted, he only made his ddbiii when he was a 

 five-year-old), during whicli he won for his owners a 

 sum of £2,500 — a large amount in those daj's. Eclipse 

 was bred by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cum- 

 berland, who ran horses in the Derby of 1781, 1782, and 

 1783 without success. At the death of His Royal High- 

 ness he became the property of Mr. Wildman, a sheep 

 salesman, who purchased him for the insignificant sum 

 of 75 guineas ; the price paid by O'Kelly for a half- 

 share in this turf gold-mine was 250 guineas; and 

 ultimately Eclipse became the sole property of the 

 Irish sportsman for an additional sum of 750 guineas, 

 raakinsjf ],000 in all. Durinc^ his short reign on the 

 turf he was never beaten. The following horses of his 

 'Gfet,' in addition to the three which attained the first 

 place, ran in the Derb}', namely, Spitfire, who was third 

 in 1780 ; Alphonso (in addition to the Avinner), 1781 ; 

 Achilles and Plutus, 1782 ; Dungannon second, and 

 Cornet, not placed, in addition to the winner, in 1783 ; 

 besides Mr. Davis's ch. c, by Herod, dam by Eclipse — 

 four out of the six animals which composed the field in 

 that year were by Eclipse. Serjeant, by Eclipse, won 

 the Derby of 1784 ; next year Chauntt-r and Clarinet re- 

 presented this grand sire. In 1786 ^Icteor was second, 

 and Scota unplaced ; both of these were by Eclipse. 

 Gunpowder, second in 1787, and Aurelius, second in the 

 succeeding year, continued the story ; whilst an Eclipse 

 colt ran in the colours of the Prince of Wales in the 

 Derby of 1789, in which year His Royal Highness had 



