Eclipse (horse)
Infobox last modified on 7 December 2007.
Eclipse ( born April 1, 1764 † February 27, 1789 ) was an English racehorse. The chestnut colt was to be a progenitor of the Thoroughbred horse race. Its shoulder height ( Height ) was about 1.60 m - according to English measure 63 inches - for that time a large, today a rather small racehorse.
Eclipse was repeatedly portrayed by George Stubbs who was famous for his realistic paintings of horses.
Ancestors and descendants
Eclipse comes from Marske ad Spiletta of Regulus. Marske had won the Jockey Club Pate (100 guineas ), but was not seen as the best racehorse of his generation, Spiletta has not raced. According to recent studies Shakespeare could be the possible father of Eclipse. The great- grandfather on his mother (fachsprachlich: The Third father in the maternal line) was one of the forefathers of the English Thoroughbred: Godolphin Barb. Direct paternal ancestor was Darley Arabian.
How many foals sired Eclipse is unclear. The numbers range from 335 344 to 400 is certain, however, that his direct descendants in England 862 race to the value of £ 158,047 won, one in today's money value incredibly high prize money. Three of his offspring won the Derby. These were Young Eclipse (1781 ), Saltram (1783 ) and Sergeant (1784 ). Surprisingly, he was never champion father horse of England, in this annual ranking he finished eleven times second place, mostly behind Herod. Today, however, come from more than 90 % of all living thoroughbreds in direct male line from Eclipse. In complete pedigrees of these horses it is published some 100 times. In contrast, the male lines of Herod and Matchem to Eclipse 's lifetime, the more successful father horses, almost extinct. These stallions are similar often found as yet in Eclipse the complete pedigrees of today's thoroughbreds.
The most important common features of his descendants were irritability, but also speed and precocity - so far as he was by today's thoroughbred breeding standards a very modern sire.
However, the begotten of Eclipse Derby winners were not the great sire. These were rather Pot -8 -Os (1773 ), Joe Andrew ( 1778) and Mercury ( 1778). Of these, in turn, was Pot -8 -Os the most important. The acting weird name comes from the fact that the groom, who should write the name on the door of the horse boxes, Potato not knew and wrote what he has understood.
Life
Eclipse was named after the occurred at his traditional birthday ( and previously calculated by Nicole Lepaute ) annular solar eclipse (English eclipse = " eclipse ").
Eclipse was bred from the English Duke of Cumberland Wilhelm August, a son of King George II Eclipse was sold after the death of the Duke ( 1765 ) to the breeder William Wildeman for 75 guineas. After his second victory in a race (May 1769), the Irish adventurer Colonel Dennis O'Kelly showed great interest and bought Eclipse in two steps ( 50 percent in June 1769 for 650 guineas, 50 percent in April 1770 for 1100 guineas ). From 1771 Eclipse denied no more horse racing, because nobody wanted to bet on a different horse when he appeared at the starting point of a race. From now on he was used for breeding.
Eclipse died at the age of 24 years from the effects of colic. At his autopsy, an unusually large heart was discovered, the herhielt as the reason for its outstanding racing performance. Its crafted skeleton is now on display in the National Museum horses in Newmarket. The authenticity of the skeleton is controversial. It is believed that it is only partially -original bone.
Life as a race horse
On May 3, 1769 Eclipse took in Epsom for the first time on a horse race part, which he won for the rest of the field by a wide margin. Eclipse remained unbeaten in all his 18 races, eleven of these races were so-called " King's Plates ," by today's major breeding race. Seven of the " King's Plates ," he won single-handedly ( so-called " walkover "). Eclipse also set up records. However, one must not always the traditional times to be believed, such as the 6:04 min in a race over 7190 meters, at this time it could be a number Dreher, because 9:04 min for this distance as a realistic time are to be considered. Since Eclipse won superior to almost every race, the judge's decision was often: "Eclipse the first, the rest nowhere! " (Eclipse first, the rest nowhere! ) - Ie, the opponent had not even the distance post about 240 yards from the finish achieved when Eclipse it past the finish line. His opponents were so summarily listed under " also-ran ", said further order of finish did not matter.