The characters in THE FLYING FILLY reveal life in the 18th century with all its status consciousness, its prejudices, strict rules and weaknesses. This historical fiction begins as the story of one girl, the Countess of Coulter, and her horse Spiletta, the Grand Dam of racing's greatest horse. The real Spiletta was the grand daughter of Sham, the Godolphin Arabian and later mother of the undefeated Eclipse, the greatest sire in horsedom and namesake of the Horse of the Year award to this day. Spiletta is the secret of Eclipse's success. She passed her enormous heart to her son, who passed them to his progeny, blessing them with great stamina and speed. Spiletta and Eclipse's names are on the pedigree of most Triple Crown winners. Little is known about the champion mare, but what is known has been woven into this novel. Spiletta, nicknamed the Flying Filly, was the first horse to conquer racing obstacles, which inspired the Olympic sports of steeplechase, cross country and competitive jumping.