A remarkable collection of six pairs of mid 19th century racing plates worn by racehorses trained at the Ashtead Stables, Surrey, comprising: i) Little Wonder (1840 Derby) ii) The Merry Monarch (1845 Derby) iii) Rhedycina (1850 Oaks) iv) Mincemeat (1854 Oaks) v) Virago (1854 City & Suburban & Great Metropolitan Stakes) vi) Elcho (1862 Great Metropolitan Stakes) each pair of plates mounted on a brass plaque & inscribed with details of the horse, the achievements & the owner & trainer all mounted on a baize lined wooden backboard, 45 by 50cm., 17 3/4 by 19 3/4in. This important racing memorabilia discovery has returned to England for auction having been in South Africa for a century or more. The original owner's forebears had connections with the Ashtead Stables in Surrey before emigrating. These racing stables enjoyed a golden period in the mid-nineteenth century, firstly when run by the trainer John Forth. He sent out Mr Robertson's diminutive colt Little Wonder to win the Derby in 1840, and five years later Forth won the Blue Riband again with Mr Gratwicke's The Merry Monarch. For the record, Forth had trained the winner of the Derby back in 1829 with Frederick, also owned by Mr Gratwicke. Forth, at the age of 62, actually rode the colt to victory and is believed to be the oldest Derby winning jockey in history. Evidently, however, the tradition of preserving Classic winning plates at Ashtead had not started at this time. Ashtead was eventually taken over by the trainer Goodwin who was responsible for the 1850 Oaks winner Rhedycina, owned by Mr Hobson, and thus a third pair of Classic winning plates joined the Ashtead collection. Four years later Goodwin emulated this achievement with Mr Cookson's filly Mincemeat. On a remarkable afternoon at Epsom's Spring Meeting, 6th April 1854, the three-year-old filly Virago won the two popular handicaps the 10 furlong City & Suburban and the two and a quarter mile Great Metropolitan. Her racing plates from this famous double were added to the collection. The final pair of plates relate to the famous Day racing family. William Day trained the winner of the 1862 Great Metropolitan Handicap in the shape of Lord Coventry's Elcho. Day was not based at Ashtead, so it is presumed that Elcho was stabled there in readiness for the Great Metropolitan at nearby Epsom. Perhaps, he completed his final preparatons on the gallops there.
£5,000 - £7,000
A remarkable collection of six pairs of mid 19th century racing plates worn by racehorses trained at the Ashtead Stables, Surrey, comprising: i) Little Wonder (1840 Derby) ii) The Merry Monarch (1845 Derby) iii) Rhedycina (1850 Oaks) iv) Mincemeat (1854 Oaks) v) Virago (1854 City & Suburban & Great Metropolitan Stakes) vi) Elcho (1862 Great Metropolitan Stakes) each pair of plates mounted on a brass plaque & inscribed with details of the horse, the achievements & the owner & trainer all mounted on a baize lined wooden backboard, 45 by 50cm., 17 3/4 by 19 3/4in. This important racing memorabilia discovery has returned to England for auction having been in South Africa for a century or more. The original owner's forebears had connections with the Ashtead Stables in Surrey before emigrating. These racing stables enjoyed a golden period in the mid-nineteenth century, firstly when run by the trainer John Forth. He sent out Mr Robertson's diminutive colt Little Wonder to win the Derby in 1840, and five years later Forth won the Blue Riband again with Mr Gratwicke's The Merry Monarch. For the record, Forth had trained the winner of the Derby back in 1829 with Frederick, also owned by Mr Gratwicke. Forth, at the age of 62, actually rode the colt to victory and is believed to be the oldest Derby winning jockey in history. Evidently, however, the tradition of preserving Classic winning plates at Ashtead had not started at this time. Ashtead was eventually taken over by the trainer Goodwin who was responsible for the 1850 Oaks winner Rhedycina, owned by Mr Hobson, and thus a third pair of Classic winning plates joined the Ashtead collection. Four years later Goodwin emulated this achievement with Mr Cookson's filly Mincemeat. On a remarkable afternoon at Epsom's Spring Meeting, 6th April 1854, the three-year-old filly Virago won the two popular handicaps the 10 furlong City & Suburban and the two and a quarter mile Great Metropolitan. Her racing plates from this famous double were added to the collection. The final pair of plates relate to the famous Day racing family. William Day trained the winner of the 1862 Great Metropolitan Handicap in the shape of Lord Coventry's Elcho. Day was not based at Ashtead, so it is presumed that Elcho was stabled there in readiness for the Great Metropolitan at nearby Epsom. Perhaps, he completed his final preparatons on the gallops there.