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Most of us are hard pressed to trace our family tree beyond our great grandparents, so it's astonishing to realise the direct bloodline of a thoroughbred horse can be followed back through tens of generations. There are over 5,000 Thoroughbred foals born in Great Britain every year, and over 110,000 born worldwide. Each one can trace their ancestry back through the father’s line to one of three horses - the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerley Turk or the Darley Arabian.

A descendent of the Darley Arabian, Eclipse was foaled in 1764, the year of the great eclipse of the sun. He won 18 races, never appearing the least bit stretched. Owners were reluctant to put their horses up against him and eight of his races were declared walkovers! Eclipse retired to stud in 1771 and sired three Derby winners but his ability to sire offspring that were well adapted to the new shorter races for two and three year olds ensured him a place in the racing history books. However, due to terrific competition from Herod and the Byerley Turk line, Eclipse was never actually declared champion. After his death, Eclipse was dissected to try to work out the secret of his success – it was decided that his huge heart pumped blood around the body more effectively, while his back legs gave plenty of leverage. Powerful lungs completed the winning combination. His skeleton is still owned by the Royal Veterinary College and can be seen at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.
Originally bred to cope with endurance tests as mature horses, the nature of the Thoroughbred has changed along with the demands of racing. They have become much larger, faster over shorter distances and are maturing earlier. The early Thoroughbreds ran in match races, mostly at around four miles, which suited the stamina rich, tough Arabian influence. But in the latter quarter of the 18th century, the nature of racing changed with the inception of the far shorter St Leger, Oaks and Derby, and an increasing emphasis on racing two and three-year-olds. Thoroughbreds are often highly-strung creatures but it is this nervous energy which enables them to run faster than other breeds of horse. They are capable of clocking approximately 45 miles per hour.
Hand in hand with the development of the Thoroughbred went the need to record its evolution. The General Stud Book was first published by Weatherbys in 1791, and has continued to the present day. It has been the base for all other Stud Books world-wide. All horses featured in the General Stud Book have fulfilled the criteria for registered Thoroughbreds if all lines of their pedigree can be traced to horses in the Book or another approved foreign Stud Book.