The trophy for the 1864 Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot: in the form of a large silver shallow dish & cover centrepiece, hallmarked London, 1863, maker's mark

The trophy for the 1864 Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot: in the form of a large silver shallow dish & cover centrepiece, hallmarked London, 1863, maker's mark of John Samuel Hunt for Hunt & Roskell, inscribed on foot rim HUNT & ROSKELL LATE STORR & MORTIMER 2327, designed as a shallow dish and cover on an elegant stepped stem and base, the lid surmounted by models of stags, all on a stepped ebonised plinth with two friezes of stags and deer in raised relief in between Queen Victoria's royal coat of arms, the base with two sculptural still lifes of a jockey's cap, saddle, stirrups and whip resting on laurel, and with two plaques inscribed ASCOT, 1864, WON BY, MR. LONGFIELD'S GEM OF THE SEA, 4 YEARS OLD, CARRYING 7ST. 10LB., overall height of trophy when on plinth, 87.5cm., 34 1/2in., diameter of dish 39cm., 15 1/4in. Mr Longfield's Gem of the Sea caused an upset in the 1864 Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot by winning at odds of 40 to 1 under a ride from Harry Grimshaw. He beat 33 other runners and survived an objection on the grounds of crossing. The Royal Hunt Cup was first contested in 1843 and remains one of the highlights and great gambling races of the Royal meeting. The design of this trophy is a direct reference to the Royal Hunt at Windsor Park, from which the famous handicap at Royal Ascot derived its name. This also explains the presence of the Royal Coat of Arms engraved on the trophy. Stag were hunted by the Royal Buckhounds. It is typical of the high Victoriana offered as trophies on the racecourse at this period, particularly for the major races at Royal Ascot, Goodwood and the Doncaster St Leger meeting.