460 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 
out of Spiletta, by Kegulus, son of the Godolphin Bard, out 
of Mother Western, by a son of Snake, full brother to Wil¬ 
liams’s Squirrel; her dam Old Montague, grandson by Haut¬ 
boy, out of the daughter of Brimmer, whose pedigree was 
not preserved. Eclipse was bred by the Duke of Cumber¬ 
land, and foaled during the great eclipse of 1764, whence 
the name given him by the royal duke, at the sale of whose 
stud he was purchased a colt, for seventy-five guineas, by 
Mr. Wildman. 
For what reason, we have never been able to learn, this 
celebrated horse was never raced until he was five years of 
age, at which time he was entered at Epsom for the maiden 
plate of fifty pounds. At first trial, such were the expec¬ 
tations of the knowing ones, that four to one was betted in 
his favour. At the second and winning heat of this race, 
all the five horses were close together at the three mile¬ 
post, when some of the jockeys used their whips. At this 
time Eclipse was going at an easy gallop, when he took 
alarm at the crack of the whip, and bounded off at his full 
speed ; and although Oakley, his rider, was a man of power¬ 
ful arm, he was not to be restrained, and in consequence 
distanced the whole of his competitors. 
Before Eclipse ran for the king’s plate at Winchester, in 
1769, Mr. 0’Kelly purchased the half-share of him for six 
hundred and fifty guineas. He afterwards became his sole 
proprietor, for an additional sum of one thousand guineas. 
It is said that one of the Bedford family asked 0’Kelly how 
much he would take for Eclipse, when he replied, “ By the 
mass, my lord, it is not all Bedford level that would pur¬ 
chase him.” It is said, that about this period he asked 
from another person the modest sum of twenty-five thou¬ 
sand pounds down, and an annuity of five hundred pounds 
on his own life ; and the privilege of sending to him annu* 
