One of Britain's oldest extant horseracing trophies, the 1783 Doncaster Cup, is to be auctioned at Christie's on May 30.
 Worth 100 guineas in its day, how much will the cup bring on May 24? |
The cup will be sold at Christie's Centuries of Style auction in London, which will also feature silver, European ceramics, portrait miniatures and gold snuff boxes.
The Doncaster Cup was first competed for in 1766 and is the oldest of all cup races to have been run continuously since its establishment. The 1783 race was won by William Garforth's grey colt, Pacolet, earning the wealthy Yorkshire landowner a handsome prize of 100 guineas.
Almost 230 years later, the cup is expected to bring £20,000-30,000. Another example of the Doncaster Cup from 1778 was sold by Christie's for £20,700 in 2008. The earlier cup fared exceptionally well in the auction, achieving a 72.5% increase on its £12,000 estimate.
In 2005, the entranceway to Ascot racecourse's winner's enclosure was sold for £28,000, highlighting the worth of important horse racing memorabilia at auction.
PFC Auctions is current offering an excellent selection of sports memorabilia, including this tracksuit top from legendary Leeds midfielder, Billy Bremner.
The top lot of the Christie's auction will be a Louis XV enamelled snuff box, which is estimated to sell at £40,000-60,000. Also featuring in the sale will be a fine silver claret jug which Charles Dickens gave to his editor, William Wills.
For more of the latest news from the collecting world and the results of this sale, sign up to Paul Fraser Collectibles' free weekly newsletter, featuring investment advice from our team of experts.
