The Colorado statesman., 1907-08-31
KING OF THE TURF
ECLIPSE CONSIDERED WORLDS
GREATEST RACE HORSE.
Was Never Beaten, Never Whipped,
and Never Felt Distressed-His
Record One of Victory from
Beginning to End.

What horse has proved itself the
greatest racer in the history of the
world? Most experts would undoubt.
edly at once answer "Eclipsei" says
the Montreal Standard.
The great son of Marske and Spilet.
ia was foaled at Cranbourne Lodge,
England, in 1854. The duke of Cum.
berland was his breeder, and he was
purchased when yearling by meat
salesman named Wildman. He was
an ugly-headed leggy colt, thick in
the wind, of violent temper, and un
manageable spirit. The method of his
training would startle the careful
owners of to-day. HE was sent for
some time to rough rider named
George Elter, or Elters," says Mr..
Cook, in his recent review OF
Eclipse's wonderful victories, "who
almost worked him to death by riding
him about all day, and sometimes
kept him out all night on poaching
expeditions" This treatment, which
would have killed most thoroughbreds,
added strength and muscle to
Eclipse. And when in 1869 he began
to race his strength and spirit were
unimpaired. Jack Oakley, who rode
him in nearly all his races" Mr.. Cook
tells us, never attempted to hold
him, but sat quietly in his saddle and
let him go as he pleased, with the re-
suit that he cut down his field at the
start and kept on increasing his lead;
for the farther he went the more he
seemed to enjoy himself, SO that he
must have had a combination of
speed, stride, endurance and weight
carrying ability over a distance which
can never have been surpassed in the
history of the horse before or since"
In one sense Eclipe's great qualities
were a disadvantage to him. So far
superior was he to all competitors
that the betting was generally 100 to
1 on him, and he was early withdrawn
from racing because no one would en-.
ter horse against him. The one and
only horse that ever pressed him was
Bucephalus, whose constitution was
irreparably ruined by the contest.
Never was there such a career A
record of victory from beginning to
end, and victory won with consum.
mate and contemptuous ease.
Eclipse" says Mr.. Lawrence, was
ished over him, or felt the tickling of
spur, or was ever for moment dis
tressed, outfooting, outstriding and
outlasting every horse which started
against him."
O'Kelly, the owner, whose name is
always linked with the name of
Eclipse, bought the famous horse of
Wildman after his first race. He must
have had a strong faith both in the
horse and in his own judgment. He
gave 1,750 guineas for him-at that
time an exceedingly high price-and
was abundantly justified by the re-
suit. Eclipse stood at stud at Clay
Hill and brought his owner G25,000
in fees. In 2S years there were mum.
bered among his defendants 344 win
ners, with a total in stakes to their
credit of more than 915S,000. And
the blood of Eclipse is still the aris.
tocracy of the turf.
His name has passed into
proyerb: ECLIPSE first and the rest
nowhere!" 1t was after the first heat
of Eclipse's first race that O'Kelly
made his memorable bet. DESTROYS
of adding to his gains" writes Mr..
Cook, "and being perfectly confident
that this great horse could race as
well as he could gallop, he made
heavy wager (Which was naturally
taken up with considerable eager.
ness) that he would place all the
horses in the second heat. When
asked to name their order he pro.
nounced the famous sentence:
Eclipse first and the rest nowhere
as he was sure that all the other
horses would be 'distanced' ii. e.,
beaten by more than 200 yards), and
therefore would not be placed by the
Ridges." He won his bet and assured
for his horse the eternal celebrity
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