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An Australian polo trophy: The Brassey Challenge Cup at Moonee Valley won outright by Camperdown Polo Club in 1900, a two-handled English silver trophy cup, hallmarked Charles Stuart Harris, London, 1896, inscribed PRESENTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY LORD BRASSEY K.C.B., 1897, POLO CHALLENGE CUP, set on an ebonised plinth with three winner’s shields attached chronicling the three successive victories of Camperdown Polo Club in seasons 1897-98, 1898- 99 & 1899-1900, height of cup 29cm., 11 1/2in., weight 829gr., 26oz. 13dwt.


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The Sydney Mail 20th March 1897 carries a report of the Challenge Cup polo match at Moonee Valley between Camperdown and Colac. After Camperdown ran out comfortable winners the report informs us “at the conclusion of the game his Excellency the Governor [Lord Brassey] presented the cup to the Camperdown team, who have now won it for three years in succession, and are thus the owners of it.”


Lord Brassey himself then commissioned a replacement challenge trophy, which is the silver cup being offered at auction here. The competition then became known as the Brassey Challenge Cup.


In 1900 history repeated itself. A report in the Sydney Mail 17th March 1900 covers the match on 6th March and Camperdown’s defeat of Caramut at Moonee Valley Racecourse and explains that “after an exciting struggle Camperdown was left in the enviable position of owners of the trophy the match, which they have now won three years in succession.” Thus Lord Brassey’s trophy was retired after just thee years, with the dominant Camperdown team having now won the annual polo match at Moonee Valley six years in succession.


Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey, was a British Liberal Party politician and Governor of Victoria, Australia, from 1895 to 1900, residing at Government House, Melbourne. £1,200 - 1,600


8 A racing plate worn by


Craganour when winning the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in 1912, mounted in a wooden frame together with a photograph of Craganour with William Saxby up, set with a title plaque, 23cm., 9in. square


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As a two-year-old Craganour won the Middle Park Stakes and the Gimcrack Stakes. The following year in 1913 the colt was controversially disqualified after winning The Derby at Epsom. Craganour was owned by Charles Bower Ismay, a member of the family that owned the White Star Line whose liner RMS Titanic had sunk on her maiden voyage, 15th April 1912. The decision to disqualify Craganour appeared harsh and has long been thought to be the racing establishment closing ranks to prevent a member of the stigma ridden Ismay family wining the blue riband event of the racing calendar.


7 A trio of silver goblets awarded


as point-to-point trophies in 1903 and 1906,


all fully hallmarked, awarded by the Tally Ho Club for point-to-point competitions, all won by Mr H Palethorpe, two by his horse Deist the other by his horse Ferret, the tallest 26cm., 10 1/4in. £250 - 300


Besides all of this, the 1913 Derby is as famous for being the ‘Suffragette Derby’ with Emily Davison dashing onto the racetrack and bringing down the King’s horse Anmer, the shocking protest resulting in her death.


Provenance:


The grandfather of the present vendor was the jockey Fred ‘Brusher’ Herbert, winner of over 3,000 races in 21 countries and winner of Kentucky Derby in 1910 on Donau. William Saxby the rider of Craganour was Herbert’s brother- in-law.


£500 - 700


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