The stallion Eclipse is deemed to be the most successful and famous of racehorses of all time. He lived from 1764 to 1789 and was never beaten in 18 races desipte never being whipped or spurred and was so successful that he only raced for 2 years before being retired. He was celebrated with the phrase "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere". The horse's skeleton was preserved on his death and kept for years at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket. His bones have now been transferred to the Royal Veterinary College in London for tests. The bones will be studied by scientists in an effort to identify the genes that made him such a great champion.