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O'Kelly plied his trade as a conman in London's coffee-houses and, through his gambling contacts, introduced clients to Hayes. It is reported that O'Kelly himself took in female clients. Within eight years, they had amassed a total of £40,000, enough to branch out into racehorse ownership. They also
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Mr O'Kelly, though he latterly was able to assume the sang froid in his manners and conversation, was perfectly illiterate; but being blessed with a good memory, and native drollery, he was seldom at a loss in conversation, and took part in every subject proposed - always pleasant, and never
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Eclipse then went to stud for a fee of 50 guineas, the highest stud fee in the country, where he sired 930 colts and fillies over 17 years. Amongst the best of them were Young
Eclipse and Serjeant, who enhanced Eclipse's stud reputation by winning early renewals of the
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In 1769, his first season as a racehorse, the five-year-old
Eclipse had remained unbeaten in the nine races he contested. This inspired O'Kelly to buy the horse outright from his owner William Wildman for the sum of 1,100
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charitable without ostentation, and prosperity did not inflate him with pride; for he called his relations from obscurity and penury, supported them in ease and plenty, and at his death left them independent.
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stated that all his racehorses should be sold off and that his brother Philip and nephew Andrew should forfeit £500 of their inheritance if they retained any involvement in racehorses. It is said he was:
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O'Kelly began to learn about horse racing and breeding from some of the visitors to Hayes' establishment. It was here, from one of Hayes' clients, that he heard about a stallion bred by the late
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and the source of his initial wealth attributed to gambling. Either way, his money was soon frittered away on drink and gambling. This led in 1756 to a stay in the
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There he is reputed to have duped a wealthy heiress into marrying him, and absconded with her inheritance of £1,000; elsewhere this tale is dismissed as
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under O'Kelly's ownership. O'Kelly had narrowly missed out on winning the very first Derby with another son of
Eclipse, Boudrow.
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in 1787. He died "at about his sixty-seventh year of age", which would cast doubt on the accuracy of his birth date. His
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Militia. Despite his social ascent, and obvious charisma, the evidence of his humble upbringing remained:
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of the breed and ancestor of 95% of modern thoroughbreds, and from him bred horses including the
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refused his membership, even after O'Kelly became a
Captain and then Lieutenant-Colonel in the
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Anon., Sketch of the Life and
Character of Dennis O'Kelly, Esq., The Edinburgh Magazine (1788)
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Anon., Sketch of the Life and
Character of Dennis O'Kelly, Esq., The Edinburgh Magazine (1788)
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came to own a significant property portfolio, including Clay Hill estate outside of
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Success with horses brought O'Kelly wealth, but not social standing. The
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offensive; for though his voice was coarse, his address was complaisant
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in 1725, O'Kelly moved to London as a young man, where he worked as a
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Irish breeder of thoroughbred racehorses (1725–1787)
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125:Cameo of Dennis O'Kelly, breeder and owner
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501:1787 deaths
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286:Jockey Club
189:sedan chair
185:smallholder
179:Early years
490:Categories
339:References
231:Piccadilly
211:George III
204:prostitute
153:racehorses
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