ECLIPSE STAKES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 138, 17 July 1914, Page 2

ECLIPSE STAKES.

INTERESTING HISTORY. The chief feature of the Sandown Park MeetingTwhich starts to-morrow, will be the rich Eclipse Stakes, for which Kennymore, .despite his inglorious display in the Derby, promises to start favourite. This race is quite a modern institution, as.classic tuff events go. It had its begftrning in 1884> when the managers of Sandown Park formulated a scheme for jfc;£10,000 race, the horses to be nominated soon after their birth. This event w#s given the name of the Eclipse Stakes, • and the trophy for the race, held by the winner for the current year, is the hoof, mounted in gold, of the famous sire who has been aptly -termed the father of modern racehorses. :jr THE PEERLESS ECLIPSE. : Thiß most famous of all gallopers was foaled on April 1, 1764, at Ilsley, in j Berkshire, during the big eclipse whence,] he} derived his name. He was bred by the ■ Duke of Cumberland. His dam, Spiletta,,, wss by Eegulus, son of the Godolphin Barb, from Mother Western by a soil ox" Snake from a mare by Old Montague, out of a mare by Hautboy from a daughter of Brimmer and a mare whose pedig»ee is unknown. In Eclipse's pedigree there are over a dozen mares- who show the Arab strain. _ '.'■, waS a chestnut with' a wjoite blaze down the face, and his off hind legjyeas white from the hock downwards, aad' he had black, spots on the rump. v This peculiarity of marking is noticeable to the present time in the direct male line of descent. ! This celebrated sire commenced his turf career rather late in life as horses j nowadays go-, for it was not £ill he'was a five-year-old that he had his first race at Epsomi on May 3, 1769. His active career was very short, for his last public appearance under silk was in October of the following year at Newmarket. He was never.beaten, and during his eighteen months of active seirviice he ran andwalked over in 1 18 races. CAPTAIN Though bred by the Duke of Cumberland, that owner did not live to witness the. great performances that he had predicted for him/ and it is with the celebrated sportsman O'Kelly that his .name is mostly associated-. When Eclipse was butja yearling the duke's stud was disposed of by auction, and the horse passed into' the possession of a Mr Wildman. At four or five,years old Captain O'Kelly purchased a half interest in him for',2sogs, and a short time afterwards paid 750gs for the other half and thus became sole owner. After' retiring from active racing, Eclipse was at his owner's place at Clay Hill; near " Epsom, for many "years,- and earned ''& v&ry large ■ income for Captain O'Keljy sire. He was here visited by nflany hundreds of and it was r a great surprise to them to learn that the horse Was insured for of pounds, insurance then being not so common as now. Here Eclipse remained until he atr iained a good age, when Captain O 'Kelly decided to transfer him to his estate at

Canons, near Edgeware. It is said that his owner had a special carriage built for him for the journey, and ,the following mock epistle, culled;from an ancient book of sporting anecdotes, may be of interest to racing men of the present day:— ■

AN EPISTLE FROM ECLIPSE TO KING FERGUS. r '■}. :■ ■'.■■■■• Dear Son,— £. set put last -week from Epsom, and afc safe arrived in my new stables, at this^.place. My situation may serve as a lesson .to man; I was once the fleetest horse in the world, but old age has come upon me, and wonder not, King Fergus, when I tell thee I was drawn in a carriage from Epsom to Canons, being unable to walk even so short a journey. Every hprse, as well as every dog, has his day, and I have had; mine. I have oritlived two worthy masters, the late Duke of Cumberland, that bred me, and the Colonel with whom I have spent my -best days; but I must not repine. I am now caressed, not so much for what I can do, but for what I have done, and with the satisfaction of knowing that my present master will never abandon me to the fate of the high-mettled racer. I am giad to hear my grandson, Honest Tom, performs so well in Ireland, and . trust that he, and the rest of my progeny, will do honour to the name of their grandsire, ECLIPSE. Canons, Middlesex. P.S.—Myself, Dungannon, Volunteer, and Vertumhus are all here. Compliments to the Yorkshire horses. When Eclipse, died, his remains were interred with all honour in the park at Canons) an autopsy revealed the secret of his" wonderful speed—his heart weighed 131b. TEMPLAR.