The historic silks worn by jockey Geoff Lewis when riding Mill Reef to victory in the 1971 Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI and Queen Eliza

The historic silks worn by jockey Geoff Lewis when riding Mill Reef to victory in the 1971 Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the colours of owner Mr Paul Mellon comprising a black jacket with gold cross and cuffs, the Merry & Co neck label inscribed I.A.B., and left cuff I.A. BALDING, and a black cap with a gold stripe, the cap interior inscribed twice I.A.B. and I.A. BALDING, the cap set with a silver plaque hallmarked Wakely & Wheeler, London, 1971, bearing jockey Geoff Lewis's engraved signature after the inscribed statement: THESE ARE THE COLOURS I WORE WHEN RIDING "MILL REEF" TO WIN THE DERBY - THE ECLIPSE, THE KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH  AND THE PRIX DE LA'ARC [sic] de TRIOMPHE, 1971, small tear to back of jacket close to the neck line and running in close parallel to gold vertical stripe, and another to the back where horizontal gold stripe reaches the shoulder  Provenance: Bought at a Charity Auction by the London-based Canadian entrepreneur and financier  Douglas H Bayle circa 1971/72, thence gifted to his son. Douglas H Bayle was the Chairman of E&O PLC and is perhaps best remembered for pioneering the Athena chain of poster shops in the 1970s, with the famous Tennis Girl poster selling over 2 million copies alone. Bayle was a regular attendee at black tie dinners organised by The Variety Club and the Anglo-American Sporting Club. Undoubtedly one of the greatest racehorses of the 20th Century, Mill Reef was bred in 1968 by his American owner, Paul Mellon at Upperville, Virginia. Considered better-suited to English turf racing, the small-framed bay colt by Never Bend out of Milan Mill was sent to be trained by Ian Balding at Kingsclere. He won 12 of his 14 starts over a glittering three-year career which included the golden summer of 1971 when, under Geoff Lewis, he carried Mellon’s distinctive black and gold silks to victory in all the top races. Fifty years on, he still remains the only horse ever to have won the Derby, Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same season. In August 1972, Mill Reef broke a foreleg while in training for a second attempt on the Arc, but skilled surgery together with his placid temperament enabled him to be saved as a highly successful sire of many winners including Derby heroes Shirley Heights and Reference Point. All glass will be removed from framed and glazed items prior to posting and may result in delays to shipping your items. (This service is included in the cost of postage and packing). We can also totally remove all framing and mounts upon request to reduce shipping costs. Alternatively lots can be collected in person by prior appointment from NN8 1RT.