Young Eclipse
{{Short description|British Thoroughbred racehorse}}
{{Infobox racehorse
| horsename = Young Eclipse
| image_name =
| caption =
| sire = Eclipse
| grandsire = Marske
| dam = Juno
| damsire = Spectator
| sex = Stallion
| foaled = 1778
| country = Kingdom of Great Britain
| colour = Bay
| breeder = Dennis O'Kelly
| owner = Dennis O'Kelly
| trainer = Not recorded
| record = 13:7-1-2 (incomplete)
| earnings =
| race = Epsom Derby (1781)
| awards =
| honours =
| updated=
}}
Young Eclipse (1778 – c. 1803) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1781 Epsom Derby. He raced until he was six years old, winning seven races and retiring to stud in 1785. He was not a successful sire.
Background
Young Eclipse was foaled in 1778 and was bred by Dennis O'Kelly, who owned his sire Eclipse and stood him at his Clay Hill Stud farm near Epsom for a 50-guinea per mare stud fee. O'Kelly was an Irish immigrant who had made his fortune through professional gambling, Eclipse's stud fees and the profits of a brothel run by his lover Charlotte Hayes.{{cite journal|last=Staff|title=Sketch of the life and character of Dennis O'Kelly, Esq.|journal=The Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany|year=1788|volume=7|page=105|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=anQEAAAAQAAJ&q=dennis+o%27kelly+charolotte+hayes&pg=PA105}} Eclipse was undefeated during his racing career, winning 18 races,{{cite book|last=Merry|first=Thomas B.|title=The American Thoroughbred|year=1905|publisher=Commercial Printing House|location=Los Angeles|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanthorough00merrrich/page/27 27]|url=https://archive.org/details/americanthorough00merrrich|quote=clay hill.}} and is the foundation sire from which most modern Thoroughbreds descend. Young Eclipse's dam, Juno (foaled in 1764), was bred by the Duke of Ancaster and produced nine foals between 1772 and her death in 1793. Young Eclipse was her sixth and most notable foal.{{cite journal|last=Skinner|first=J.S.|title=Juno|journal=The General Stud Book|year=1834|volume=1 and 2|page=219|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pZQXAAAAYAAJ&q=juno&pg=PA219}}
Young Eclipse was considered "fleeter" than his sire at distances less than three miles and reportedly was ill-tempered and "what the jockeys call rusty."{{cite journal|last=Staff|title=Further particulars of Eclipse|journal=Sporting Magazine|year=1798|volume=11|page=71|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m54aAQAAMAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22+died+stallions&pg=PA71}}
Racing career
Young Eclipse was trained "privately" at Epsom and the name of his trainer was not recorded.{{cite book|last=Black|first=Robert|title=Horse-racing in England : a synoptical review|year=1893|publisher=Richard Bently and Son|location=London|page=248|hdl=2027/njp.32101064795196?urlappend=%3Bseq=268|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101064795196?urlappend=%3Bseq=268}} Young Eclipse won seven races during his career and raced mostly at Newmarket. His most important win was in the 1781 Derby. He retired to stud in 1785 after he injured a fetlock during his last race.
=1781: three-year-old season=
The second Derby Stakes was run on 24 May 1781 with a field of thirteen horses. The betting favorite was John Lade's colt Crop at odds of 5 to 4 with odds on Young Eclipse at 10 to 1. Young Eclipse won the race, with Crop finishing second and Prince of Orange third. On 31 May at Epsom, he lost two £50 two-mile heats to the colt Laburnum.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Labernum|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=75|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA75}} At the October Meeting at Newmarket, Young Eclipse received an unspecified forfeiture from a filly sired by Sweetwilliam.
=1782: four-year-old season=
Young Eclipse won a match race against the horse Blush at Newmarket. Young Eclipse did not place in the Claret Stakes, the race being won by the colt Crop and the second-place finisher Regent receiving "two hogsheads of claret" from Crop's owner.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Crop|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=253|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA253}} On 20 June, Young Eclipse was fourth in a sweepstakes race which was won by the colt Arske.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Arske|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=206|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA206}} He received 50-guineas forfeiture from the colt Fox at Epsom and a 100-guinea forfeiture from Orando at Newmarket in October. Young Eclipse was third in a 60-guinea Purse race, losing to the filly Dido and the colt Flamer.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Dido|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=257|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA257}}
=1783: five-year-old season=
At the First Spring Meeting in Newmarket, Young Eclipse beat the horses Alric and Crop for a 100-guinea sweepstakes race. In July, he again beat Crop in a 500-guinea race and received a 60-guinea forfeiture from the colt Skinflint. At Burford, Young Eclipse won the King's Plate on 19 August. At Lichfield, Young Eclipse lost the Ladies' Purse to the colt Petrarch who won three heats in the race after Young Eclipse won the first heat.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Petrarch|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=273|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA273}}
=1784: six-year-old season=
Young Eclipse was third in a £50 race at the First Spring Meeting in Newmarket to the colts Mercury and Signor.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Mercury|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=266|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young+eclipse%22&pg=PA266}} In Newmarket during the Second Spring Meeting, Young Eclipse won a match race against the colt Imperator and won a £50 race by winning two-mile heats against Lord Grosvenor horse Flamer. He received 150 guineas forfeit from the colt Assassin (the 1782 Derby winner) in July and walked over for the 100-guinea King's Purse on 3 August at Nottingham.
Young Eclipse's last turf appearance occurred in York for the August Meeting where he "broke down" while running for the King's Purse against the horses Recovery and Monk.{{cite journal|last=Pick|first=Willam and R. Johnson|title=Winners & etc.|journal=The Turf Register, and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book|year=1822|volume=3|page=170|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_EIAAAAQAAJ&q=%22young%20eclipse%22%20juno%20eclipse&pg=PA470}} He had dislocated one of his fetlock joints and was permanently retired from racing.{{cite book|last=Cook|first=Sir Theodore Andrea|title=Eclipse & OK̓elly|year=1907|publisher=Dutton|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/eclipseokellybe00cookgoog/page/n200 113]|url=https://archive.org/details/eclipseokellybe00cookgoog|quote=young eclipse o'kelly.}}
Stud career
Young Eclipse was retired to stud after his racing career. By 1796, he was listed as a stallion at Colney Chapel, 3 miles from St. Albans, for a fee of 20 guineas per mare and a one guinea groom fee.{{cite journal|last=Weatherby|first=Edward and James|title=Stallions|journal=Racing Calendar|year=1796|volume=24|page=329|hdl=2027/nyp.33433066590948?urlappend=%3Bseq=393|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433066590948?urlappend=%3Bseq=393}} He was advertised in the stallion register in 1803, but was not mentioned in the 1804 edition. Young Eclipse is not considered to be a successful sire.
Young Eclipse sired a colt, also named Young Eclipse, that was foaled in 1799 out of a Highflyer mare and was owned by a Mr. Wilson.{{cite journal|last=Weatherby|first=Edward and James|title=Highflyer Mare|journal=The General Stud Book|year=1858|volume=1|page=310|hdl=2027/coo.31924066667043?urlappend=%3Bseq=360|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924066667043?urlappend=%3Bseq=360}} This Young Eclipse was second in the 1802 Epsom Derby to the colt Tyrant and was considered "the best horse of his year."{{cite book|last=Nimrod|title=The chance, the turf, the road|year=1850|publisher=J. Murray|location=London|page=145|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b277421?urlappend=%3Bseq=195}} He is often confused with his sire.
Pedigree
{{Pedigree
|name = Young Eclipse (GB), Bay Colt, 1778{{cite web|last=Staff|title=Young Eclipse 5x Pedigree|url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/young+eclipse|access-date=22 January 2012}}
|inf =
|f = Eclipse (GB)
Chestnut, 1764
|m = Juno
Bay, 1764
|ff = Marske
1750
|fm = Spilletta
1749
|mf = Spectator
1749
|mm = Horatia
1758
|fff = Squirt
|ffm = The Ruby Mare
|fmf = Regulus
|fmm = Mother Western
|mff = Crab
|mfm = Partner Mare
|mmf = Blank
|mmm = Sister One to Steady
|ffff = Bartlett's Childers
|fffm = Sister to Old Country Wench
|ffmf = Huttons Blacklegs
|ffmm = Bay Bolton Mare
|fmff = Godolphin Arabian*
|fmfm = Grey Robinson
|fmmf = Easby Snake
|fmmm = Old Montagu Mare
|mfff = Alcock's Arabian
|mffm = Sister to Soreheels
|mfmf = Partner
|mfmm = Bonny Lass
|mmff = Godolphin Arabian*
|mmfm = Amorett
|mmmf = Flying Childers
|mmmm = Miss Belvoir
}}
References
{{reflist|colwidth=33em}}
{{Epsom Derby Winners}}
Category:1778 racehorse births
Category:Racehorses bred in the Kingdom of Great Britain