Editing Godolphin Arabian (section)

==Breeding career==
[[File:Lord Godolphin's Lath by James Seymour.jpg|thumb|[[Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin|Lord Godolphin]]'s [[Lath (horse)|Lath]] (by [[James Seymour (artist)|James Seymour]])]]
The Godolphin Arabian was the [[leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland]] in 1738, 1745 and 1747.

Originally, this small stallion was considered inferior to the larger European horses of the time and was not meant to be put to stud. Instead he was used as '[[Horse breeding#Live cover|teaser]]', a stallion used to gauge the mare's receptiveness. This changed when [[Hobgoblin (horse)|Hobgoblin]] refused to [[Mating|cover]] the mare Roxana, who was then covered by the Godolphin Arabian.{{sfn|Whyte|1840|p=84-85}}

The result of this mating was [[Lath (horse)|Lath]], the first of his offspring, who went on to win the Queen's Plate nine times out of nine at the [[Newmarket Racecourse|Newmarket races]]. The second colt from this pair was [[Cade (horse)|Cade]], and the third was [[Regulus (horse)|Regulus]].<ref name="SireLine"/> All three were the same gold-touched bay as their sire, with the same small build and high-crested [[horse conformation|conformation]]. All were exceptionally fast on the track, and went on to sire many foals themselves. This was the start of the Godolphin Arabian's prowess as a racing stud, and he spent the rest of his days as the Earl of Godolphin's prize stallion, bred to England's finest mares.

The American connection began with the filly [[Selima (horse)|Selima]] (born in 1745 out of Shireborn). She was purchased by [[Benjamin Tasker Jr.]] of the [[Province of Maryland]] in [[Colonial America]], carried to the new world, and raced between 1750 and 1753. She won the biggest prize of the era, 2,500 [[pistole]]s at [[Gloucester, Virginia]] which marked "the beginning of the remarkable racing contests between the rival colonies of Maryland and [[Colony of Virginia|Virginia]]." After this, she became a successful broodmare at the [[Belair Stud]] in [[Collington, Maryland]].<ref name=Deubler>{{Citation | last = Deubler | first = Cindy | title = Belair Museums stand in path of "Progress" | journal = Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred | pages =  22–27 | date = May 2002  }}</ref><ref name=remly>{{Citation | last = Remly | first = Lynn L. | title = Art Among the Oats: Belair Stable Museum| journal = Equine Images | volume = 2000 | issue = 81 | pages = 5–56 | date = Fall 2002  }}</ref>

The Godolphin Arabian died on the [[Gog Magog Hills]], [[Cambridgeshire]] in 1753, aged around 29.  The horse's grave in the stable block of [[Wandlebury Hill|Wandlebury House]] can be visited.  When he was interred, the occasion was marked with ale and cake.{{sfn|Whyte|1840|p=85}}