Young Eclipse (1778 – c. 1803) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse that won the 1781

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

. 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

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and stood him at his Clay Hill Stud farm near

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

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

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run by his lover

Charlotte Hayes Charlotte Hayes (c. 1725–1813) was a highly successful brothel keeper in early Georgian London, and the owner of some of the city's most luxurious brothels in and around King's Place, in St James's. Biography Although the precise detail ...

. Eclipse was undefeated during his racing career, winning 18 races, 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 Earl of Lindsey is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1626 for the 14th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (see Baron Willoughby de Eresby for earlier history of the family). He was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1635 to 1636 an ...

and produced nine foals between 1772 and her death in 1793. Young Eclipse was her sixth and most notable foal. 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."

Racing career

Young Eclipse was trained "privately" at Epsom and the name of his trainer was not recorded. 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 The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey ...

was run on 24 May 1781 with a field of thirteen horses. The betting favorite was

John Lade Sir John Lade, 2nd Baronet (1 August 1759 – 10 February 1838) was a prominent member of Regency society, notable as an owner and breeder of racehorses, as an accomplished driver, associated with Samuel Johnson's circle, and one of George ...

'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. 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 A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consis ...

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

hogshead A hogshead (abbreviated "hhd", plural "hhds") is a large cask of liquid (or, less often, of a food commodity). More specifically, it refers to a specified volume, measured in either imperial or US customary measures, primarily applied to alcoho ...

s of

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" from Crop's owner. On 20 June, Young Eclipse was fourth in a sweepstakes race which was won by the colt Arske. He received 50-guineas forfeiture from the colt Fox at

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.

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

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, Young Eclipse won the King's Plate on 19 August. At

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, Young Eclipse lost the Ladies' Purse to the colt Petrarch who won three heats in the race after Young Eclipse won the first heat.

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. In Newmarket during the Second Spring Meeting, Young Eclipse won a

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

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(the 1782 Derby winner) in July and walked over for the 100-guinea King's Purse on 3 August at

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

. Young Eclipse's last turf appearance occurred in

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for the August Meeting where he "broke down" while running for the King's Purse against the horses Recovery and Monk. He had dislocated one of his fetlock joints and was permanently retired from racing.

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

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, for a fee of 20 guineas per mare and a one guinea groom fee. 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 Highflyer, highflier or high flyer may refer to: * Highflyer (horse), a British Thoroughbred racehorse * High flyer (fishing), a vertical floating pole used to locate fishing lines * HMS ''Highflyer'', various Royal Navy ships * Yamhill High Fly ...

mare and was owned by a Mr. Wilson. This Young Eclipse was second in the 1802

to the colt Tyrant and was considered "the best horse of his year." He is often confused with his sire.

Pedigree

*Young Eclipse was distantly

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4 x 4 to the Godolphin Arabian, meaning this horse appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

{{Epsom Derby Winners 1778 racehorse births Epsom Derby winners Racehorses bred in the Kingdom of Great Britain Racehorses trained in the Kingdom of Great Britain Thoroughbred family 6-b