Marske (1750 – July 1779) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, best known as siring the great Eclipse.
Racing career Bred by John Hutton at Marske Hall (Marske, Richmondshire), Yorkshire, he was traded to the Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (also the breeder and owner of Herod), as a foal for a chestnut Arabian.
In 1754 he won the Jockey Club Plate on Newmarket's Round Course against Pytho and Brilliant and a 300-guinea match against Ginger. The following year he came third in a race at Newmarket and did not run again until 1756, when he lost twice again, this time in two 1,000-guinea matches against Snap (by Snip). He was then retired to stud.
Summary Date Race name Dist (miles) Course Prize Runners Pos Opponents Unnamed race not known Newmarket 40 gs walkover 1 Mr Cornwall's Grey Colt Jockey Club Plate 3m 5f Newmarket 100 gs and up 5 1 Pythos; Brilliant; Ginger; Bear Match race 4m 1.5f Newmarket 300 gs 2 1 Ginger Unnamed race not known Newmarket not known 3 3 Brilliant; Syphon Match race not known Newmarket 1,000 gs 2 2 Snap Match race not known Newmarket 1,000 gs 2 2 Snap Match race not known Newmarket not known 2 forfeited Spectator
Breeding career Marske stood at the Duke's Cumberland stud until his owner died in 1765. Being a rather average horse up to that point, he was then sold at Tattersall's to a Dorset farmer for a 'trifling sum'. At the farm, he covered mares for half a guinea. The farmer then sold him for only 20 guineas to William Wildman. He covered mares at Bisterne, Hampshire, for 3gs and 5s in 1767, 5gs and 5s in 1769 and 10gs and 5s in 1770 before his fee was raised to 30gs and 5s. However it wasn't until his greatest son, Eclipse, showed talent on the track that Marske became extremely popular. He was then sold for a large profit of 1,000 guineas to Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon, who raised his stud fee to 100 guineas (). During his 22 years at the Earl's stud in Rycote, Oxfordshire, Marske sired across the next generation 154 winners. Top offspring include:
Eclipse: 1764 chestnut colt, undefeated on the turf, winning all 18 of his races. He was even more influential as a sire, and today it is estimated that up to 95% of Thoroughbreds are descended from this horse. Young Marske: 1771 bay colt, broke down in his first race, but at stud he produced many good broodmares as well as Ruler (1777 colt, winner of the St. Leger), Fortitude (1778), Patriot (1787), Shuttle (1793), Abba Thulle (1786), Spanker (1787), Columbine (1783), and Prince Lee Boo (1784). Hephestion: 1771 colt, won the Jockey Club Plate & Craven Stakes Narcissus: 1771 colt Leviathan ("Mungo"): 1771 colt, good sire Shark: 1771 brown colt, top racehorse winning more than any other horse of his time, with a record of 19 wins in 29 starts, earnings of 16,057 guineas. Wins included a 1774 match for 500 guineas, a 1775 subscription sweep, the Clermont Cup, a 1,000 guineas match against Johnny. At stud he produced very little, and was exported to Virginia where he left several good broodmares. His top offspring of note in England was Violet (1787) dam to Goldenlocks (by Delpini) and Thomasina (by Timothy). Pontac: sired Derby winner Sir Thomas Masquerade 1771 filly, a very good race mare Desdemona 1770 filly, dam to Apothecary; third dam to Neva (1814, won Oaks and 1,000 Guineas), Magnolia (1771), and Proserpine (1766)
From these 22 years were sired 154 winners, of some £71,205 10s () excluding non-monetary prizes and races won by unknown offspring, comparable to the wealth of an average feudal successor peer. The peak years of his produce were 1775, when wins occurred in 24 races (for winners he had sired) who earned £18,500 15s in prize money, and the next year saw 23 such wins and £19,235 13s to the various foals' owners.
He died in July 1779 and was commemorated with the following poem:
Sire line tree
MarskeFoundation Sire: MarskeJumpers: Darley Arabian Sire Line Transit Hephestion Mungo (Leviathan) Narcissus PretenderFoundation Sire: Pretender Longitude Pretender No Pretender Pandolpho Mowbray Mercutio SharkFoundation Sire: Shark Young MarskeFoundation Sire: Young Marske RulerFoundation Sire: Ruler Weathercock Pencil Governor Prince Lee Boo Abba Thule Clifton Spanker ShuttleFoundation Sire: Shuttle Stavely Middlethorpe Pope Schahriar Garrick (Hyperion) Roscius Sulky Pontac Sir Thomas Jocundo EclipseDarley Arabian Sire Line: Eclipse BranchPortrait: Eclipse Planet PotooooooooDarley Arabian Sire Line: Pot-8-Os BranchPortrait: Pot-8-Os Coriander Alderman AsparagusFoundation Sire: Asparagus Teddy the Grinder WaxyPortrait: WaxyFoundation Sire: Waxy Shock Pavilion Sir Walter Raleigh Sasenagh Ipswich Waxy PopePortrait: Waxy PopeStudbook: Early W Crispin WhaleboneDarley Arabian Sire Line: Whalebone BranchPortrait: Whalebone WofulPortrait: Woful BlucherPortrait: Blucher Quinola WhiskerPortrait: Whisker Milton Inferior Anti-Gallican ChampionFoundation Sire: Champion TyrantFoundation Sire: Tyrant Vespasian Worthy Podargus Musician JupiterFoundation Sire: Jupiter Ganymede Thunderbolt JupiterFoundation Sire: Young Jupiter Sir Walter SatelliteFoundastion Sire: Satellite King FergusDarley Arabian Sire Line: King Fergus BranchPortrait: King Fergus Honest Tom OvertonFoundation Sire: Overton Cockboat Cockfighter John O'Groat Rolla Alonzo Poor Jack Young Traveller OrmondPortrait: Ormond BeningbroughPortrait: Beningbrough Ashton Blue Devil Harefoot OrvillePortrait: Orville Delville Rygantino Thorn Bedalian Hylas Phlebotomist Scud Windle Trophonius Prince of Orange Brother to Overton Deserter HambletonianPortrait: Hambletonian Camillus WhitelockPortrait: Whitelock CamertonGoodwood Cup AnticipationPortrait: Anticipation Garswood JohnnyFoundation Sire: Johnny Master Jackey WarterFoundation Sire: Warter Vertumnus BaronetFoundation Sire: Baronet Baronet Boudrow ObscurityStudbook: Early NO Bacchus Bompard Joe AndrewsDarley Arabian Sire Line: Joe Andrews BranchFoundation Sire: Joe Andrews Dick AndrewsPortrait: Dick AndrewsFoundation Sire: Dick Andrews Cwrw TrampPortrait: Tramp Biddick Sir Richard Merrymaker MercuryFoundation Sire: Mercury PrecipitateFoundation Sire: Precipitate Petworth Bobtail Tag Hackney Langton Sir Reginald Silver GohannaPortrait: Gohanna Cardinal Beaufort Cerberus Golumpus Canopus Hedley Trafalgar Brighton Coriolanus ElectionPortrait: Election Cestrian Scorpion Interloper The Dandy Punic Robin Adair Young Gohanna Wanderer Belleropheron Skim Hermes Young EclipseFoundation Sire: Young Eclipse Young Eclipse DungannonFoundation Sire: Dungannon LurcherFoundation Sire: Lurcher Chance Hambleton BedfordStudbook: Early B Gallatin Young Dungannon
Boaster SaltramFoundation Sire: Saltram WhiskeyFoundation Sire: Whiskey Whirligig Orlando Young Whiskey Trafalgar Pioneer Juniper Patriot Marmion Royalist Whip Hickory Whip OscarFoundation Sire: Oscar VolunteerFoundation Sire: Volunteer Stirling Spread EagleFoundation Sire: Spread Eagle American Eagle Paragon VolunteerStudbook: Early UV Magic EagleFoundation Sire: Eagle Diomed Eagle Fop Serjeant AlexanderFoundation Sire: Alexander Tityrus Hephastion MeteorFoundation Sire: Meteor Don QuixoteStudbook: Early D Sancho Cato Banquo Cannon Ball Prime MinisterStudbook: Early P Cervantes Whitenose Amadis Palmerin PegasusFoundation Sire: Pegasus Expedition Sea Gull Peace-Maker Alonzo Hippomenes Brush
Pedigree
^ Marske is inbred 4S × 5S x 5D x 5D to the stallion Hautboy, meaning that he appears fourth generation once and fifth generation once (via Hautboy Mare)^ on the sire side of his pedigree and fifth generation twice (via Clubfoot and Clumsey)^ on the dam side of his pedigree.
^ Marske is inbred 4S × 5D x 5D to the stallion Lister Turk, meaning that he appears fourth generation once on the sire side of his pedigree and fifth generation twice (via Hutton's Coneyskins)^ on the dam side of his pedigree.
Marske is inbred 4D × 4D to the stallion Hutton's Coneyskins, meaning that he appears twice fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
References
Bibliography
External links Thoroughbred Bloodlines: Marske Thoroughbred Heritage – Eclipse