Description
Book SynopsisEpsom Downs, 3rd May, 1769: a chestnut with a white blaze scorches across the turf towards the finishing post. His four rivals are so far behind him that, in racing terms, they are ''nowhere''.
Watching Eclipse is the man who wants to buy him. An adventurer who has made his money through roguery and gambling, Dennis O''Kelly is also the companion of the madam of one of London''s most notorious brothels.
While O''Kelly is destined to remain an outcast to the racing establishment, his horse will go on to become the undisputed, undefeated champion of his sport.
Eclipse''s male-line descendants will include Desert Orchid, Arkel and all but three of the Derby winners of the past fifty years. And his astonishing life will be matched only by that of the rogue who owned him.
Trade ReviewA ripping yarn expertly told: part
Flashman at the Races; part
Seabiscuit without the schmaltz * Observer *
Clee combines the story of Eclipse's racing and breeding career with the lives of those who bred and owned him, a crowd who were racy in every conceivable sense * Daily Telegraph *
Clee knows how to tell a gripping story: he weaves the halves together into a well-written narrative of social change... fascinating * Independent *
This splendid book... This is a read bursting with life, and Clee has the balance and worldliness to weigh all his material with sense and perspective. No racing home should be without it * The Times *
It brings to life a horse that has left behind a matchless legacy. For the casual reader, it is an enjoyable romp through a period knee-deep in fops, fools and fraudsters * Independent on Sunday *
