THE 1926 ASCOT GOLD CUP: an 18 carat gold cup and cover

Sebastian Garrard, London 1926, inscribed under handle 'Chas. Sykes Sculpt'

Footnotes

Provenance
Awarded to Sir John Rutherford in 1926 and thence by family descent to the present owners.

Lot Research
The Ascot Gold Cup stands proudly as the showpiece event and trophy of Royal Ascot week, and is Britain's most prestigious horse racing occasion for 'stayers' – horses which specialise in racing over long distances. It is a Group 1 flat horse race, open to horses aged four years or older, covering a distance of 2½ miles. Ascot Racecourse itself is located in Berkshire, not far from Windsor Castle, and is located on Crown Estate Land. Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, it has a symbiotic relationship with the British Royal family, resulting in the reigning Monarch appointing a representative to run the administration of the racecourse on their behalf. Traditionally the racecourse had been run by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds, but in 1901 this changed and Lord Churchill (Victor Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill, 1863-1934) was appointed by Edward VII as his first official Representative, becoming Chairman in 1913. In 1926, when this Gold Cup was awarded, Lord Churchill was still very much at the helm and was integral to the design of the trophy on offer.

The Gold Cup was first run in 1807 when it was won by Master Jackey, and the first formal Royal procession, starting from Windsor Castle, was introduced in 1825 by George IV. Throughout Royal Ascot week, each race day begins with the Royal Procession, when the reigning Monarch and accompanying members of the Royal family arrive in horse-drawn carriages. While the Royal Standard is being raised, they are driven slowly along the track in full view of the expectant crowds. The Royals and invited guests then spend the day watching the races from the Royal Enclosure. The magnificent Ascot Gold Cup is the prize awarded to the owner of the winning horse by the reigning Monarch, and the cup design has to be approved by the Sovereign each year. It is one of only three perpetual trophies at the Royal meeting that are able to be kept on a permanent basis by the winners, the other two being the Royal Hunt Cup and the King's (or Queen's) Vase. As such, all three trophies are re-made every year, to a different design.

Gold Cup Day is traditionally held on the third day of the Royal Ascot meeting held in June, which is known colloquially (but not officially) as 'Ladies' Day'; a day to see and be seen. The term seems to have been coined in 1823, when an anonymous poet described the Thursday of the Royal Meeting as "Ladies' Day ... when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine." A strict dress code underpins the spectacle, attracting the very best in fashion, horses, trainers and quality of racegoers alike. Lord Churchill is reputed to have taken personal charge of vetting applications for entrance into the Royal Enclosure, sorting letters into three baskets marked 'Certainly' 'Perhaps' and 'Certainly Not.'

On Thursday June 17th, 1926, the Gold Cup on offer was won by 'Solario' (1922-45), a four-year-old thoroughbred, ridden by the jockey Joe Childs (1884-1958) and owned by Blackburn's phenomenally wealthy Sir John Rutherford (1854-1932). George V, accompanied by his wife Queen Mary, awarded Sir John the trophy on offer in the presence of a huge cheering crowd – a design chosen by George V after much deliberation and angst, causing much controversy behind the scenes. This tension over the cup design has come to light since letters held in The Goldsmiths' Company archives, specifically on the design process behind the 1926 Gold Cup, were carefully perused.

However, the drama that had played out behind closed doors was not in evidence on that sunny day in June, when 'Solario' reigned triumphant. Originally bred in Ireland by the 4th Earl of Dunraven, 'Solario' was the son of the Triple Crown winner, 'Gainsborough'. In 1923 he was bought as a yearling by Sir John for £3,675 at the Doncaster blood sales, as a handsome horse of elegant build in unmarked brown, with high withers, long legs and a short back – the perfect 'stayer' in form. Under the guidance of his trainer Reginald Day, 'Solario' went on to become one of the most famous racehorses of his day, undoubtedly the best Sir John Rutherford had ever owned, winning numerous prestigious races such as the Exeter Stakes in 1924, the St Leger Stakes in 1925 alongside the Ascot Derby and the Princess of Wales Stakes, and in 1926 the Ascot Gold Cup and the Coronation Cup. He retired to Terrace House Stud in Newmarket, commanding the highest stud fee in the land of 500 guineas a mare and winning the 'Leading Sire of Great Britain & Ireland' award in 1937. Indeed, he was immortalised in oils after his monumental win at Ascot in 1926 by Sir Alfred James Munnings (1878-1959), and in 1932 the painting was bequeathed to Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery by Sir John Rutherford, where it still resides today. His owner, Sir John Rutherford, died in 1932 and 'Solario' was offered in his dispersal at the Newmarket July sale that year. Amidst fear that he would be snatched up by a wealthy American syndicate, bidding was contentious, and a British syndicate headed by Lord Glanely won him at 47,000 guineas, a new record price for a horse at auction. He was returned to stud at Terrace House, where he died in 1945.

Solario's owner Sir John Rutherford, 1st Baronet (1854-1936) was originally born in Annan Dumfriesshire, the only son of Mr John Rutherford J.P. of Blackburn, a town which he had a lifelong association with. Sir John was a man with true Northern grit, a multi-faceted character who had been one of Blackburn Rovers first-ever football players, later inheriting his father's partnership in Shaw's Brewery in Blackburn town centre. He gained a Commission into the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry regiment in 1881, which he commanded for six years, found time to serve as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Darwen, a seat he held for a total of twenty-seven years, and was appointed the Mayor of Blackburn in 1898. His elevation in social standing was cemented by being granted a baronetcy on 27 January 1916, owning the archetypal country estate in Scotland, as well as a now-vanished mansion at Beardwood in Blackburn. As a brewing tycoon, he was wealthy enough to afford to turn down the Aga Khan's offer of £100,000 - equal to more than £3.2 million today - for his colt 'Solario' after it won its first classic, the St Leger in 1925. His interest in horses had begun in 1880, when he originally showed an interest in show jumping and steeplechasing, but his true passion lay with ownership of thoroughbred racehorses and indulging in 'the sport of Kings' – when old money came face to face with new – industrial magnates mingling with aristocracy, an erstwhile breaking down of the old order, as personified by George V handing Sir John the winning Ascot Gold Cup in 1926, a scenario which would have been unimaginable prior to the industrial revolution.

It was specifically the industrial revolution and the process of mass production that George V felt had negatively impacted the design process behind current gold and silver ware, to the detriment of the trade as a whole. As far as he was concerned, there was a distinct 'stagnation' within the industry, and he made particular reference to trophy design. He was bored of handing out the same style trophy, re-hashed Victoriana churned out again and again ad infinitum. Instead, he wanted to award something new and exciting, to see the birth of a new aesthetic within the gold and silver industry. Who would have thought that George V was such a mover and shaker within the field of gold and silver artistic innovation, launching an initiative which would prove pivotal in launching modern silver design as we know it today.

Therefore, in July 1925 Lord Churchill (as the spokesperson for George V) and Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith KCVO (1859–1944), the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, informed the Prime Warden of The Goldsmiths Company that the King was interested in seeing an improvement in the design for three trophies which he gave every year at Ascot; the Royal Ascot Cup, the King's Gold Vase, and the Royal Hunt Cup. George V had "been dissatisfied with the cups recently produced in the ordinary course of trade chiefly because they have been either copied from old pieces or been lacking in good design and distinction."

The Goldsmiths' Company was at the time initiating schemes to combat the current inertia in the trade, and saw an open design competition for the Ascot Cups as an opportunity to focus its aims. It had been evident at the 'International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts' in Paris that other countries, such as France, Sweden and Denmark, were applying "artistic designs to commercial articles". The trophy design competition launched at the start of 1926 was "open to all workers in the precious metals". The official advertisement listed five major objectives, which were underpinned by a desire to bring designers and craftsmen into closer contact with manufacturers and retailers:

"To help in removing the stagnation from the Gold and Silver trade in this country. To promote improvement in the character of modern Gold and Silver plate offered for sale to the public and to encourage originality of design. To create a demand on the part of the public for better work, by means of the widest possible publicity. To invite retailers and others interested in the craft to co-operate with the company. To do everything possible to restore the ancient tradition of the silversmith's craft in this country." There was an ambition to try and influence public taste, with a moving away from the ornate to "convey the expression of modern thought", in order to kick-start a contemporary silver movement.

All designs and models had to be of exact size and be accompanied by an approximate estimate of weight and cost, and an indication of techniques of construction and decoration. The Ascot Gold Cup and King's Gold Vase were to be made of 18 carat gold, the former costing approximately £500 and the latter £250. The Hunt Cup was to be of silver and cost £150. By 30th April 1926, over 300 sketches had been submitted by 91 firms and craftsmen, 53 from the trade and 38 from 'artists'. They were judged by Sir Edward Lutyens R. A., C. H. St John Hornby, F. H. Courthope (member of the Artworkers Guild), B. J. Fletcher (principal of Birmingham Art School) and Muirhead Bone. Unfortunately, after seeing the competition designs, the King decided he did not like any of them. They all seemed to hark back to the past and medievalism, which is what George V wanted to get away from. Lord Churchill had to quickly find alternatives, which was a difficult task so late in the day, as Royal Ascot was fast approaching.

Lord Churchill, much to his chagrin, approached the Crown Jewellers Garrard's to speedily come up with two alternative designs and sure enough, George V much preferred these for the Gold Cup and Gold Vase. It was an enormously controversial decision, given the time, effort and money put behind the competition by The Goldsmiths' Company. Lord Churchill was at pains to stress, in defence of the King and his whimsy, that there had been no pledge from His Majesty to select any of The Goldsmiths' Company competition entries. That is how Charles Sykes (1875-1950), who occasionally designed for Garrard's, was chosen as the designer of the Ascot Gold Cup of 1926 on offer here. He had nothing to do with the competition, his design just happened to be favoured over the competition winners by George V. Yet, in an article published in the 'The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs' in July 1926 (Vol 49/No 280), Viscount Churchill and Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith wrote an article entitled 'An Experiment in Silver Craft' where they stated that "We are glad to take the opportunity, kindly afforded by the Editor of The Burlington Magazine, of publishing two of the cups which have been the outcome of this competition ... Designed for Messrs. Garrard by Mr Charles Sykes, the Gold Cup may be thus described ... It is greatly to be hoped that the example here set by His Majesty may bear fruit ..." Interestingly it appears there was an official cover-up of what actually happened, presumably in order to not embarrass the King.

However, Charles Sykes design, although not the competition winner, was strikingly different, with clean lines and minimal ornamentation; a break with the past and obviously a design that was very much to George V's taste. As an aesthetic it looked towards the future, rather than harking back to what had gone before, which was what George V hoped to achieve with his design project. Of note, is that The Goldsmiths' Company hold the same version by Sykes within their collection, but in silver; this is also hallmarked for Garrard & Co., London 1926. There is one obvious difference, whereby the handles are a pair of fully formed semi-clad kneeling women, with arms outstretched and heads flung back, whereas the Ascot Gold Cup of 1926 seen here (possibly for respectability) has handles which are more conceptual ie the same semi-clad women kneeling, but in a more abstracted form. Interestingly, Garrard's do not normally allow designers to sign their finished work, but under the right handle of the Gold Cup can be seen the hand-inscribed signature of 'Chas. Sykes Sculpt.' For reference purposes, a photograph of the silver version by Charles Sykes is published in The Goldsmiths' Company catalogue "Treasures of the 20th Century", issued for the exhibition in 2000, image 88, p.45.

So, who was the designer who caught George V's eye? Charles Robinson Sykes was primarily known as a sculptor, having been born in Redcar, Yorkshire, in 1875 and raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In 1898 he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, South Kensington, to study art, sculpture and metal casting. He is famous for his model of the Rolls Royce car mascot the 'Spirit of Ecstasy', which won a gold medal in Paris in 1920 for "the World's best motor mascot", depicting a mythological figurine "who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and has alighted on the brow of the Rolls-Royce car to revel in the freshness of the air ...". His 'Spirit of Ecstasy' was commissioned by his patron, Lord Montagu, and was modelled on Montagu's secret lover Eleanor Velasco Thornton. In some respects, the handles of the Ascot Gold Cup on offer have echoes of the modelling behind the 'Spirit of Ecstasy', even more evident in Sykes's silver version held by The Goldsmiths' Company – the spirit of abandonment embodied in sculptural form. Sykes was invited to design further gold and silver cups for Ascot, the Manx International TT Bicycle Race, and the Raleigh Challenge Cup plus other significant commissions, such as the sceptre for King Haile Selassie. Many of his designs are held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

This magnificent Ascot Gold Cup from 1926 has never been offered on the open market before, having stayed within Sir John Rutherford's close family and thence been handed down by descent to the present owners. This trophy forms a pivotal point in the birth of contemporary silver design as we know it today, fostered by the innovative vision and design initiatives launched by George V in 1925.

Literature
John Andrew and Derek Styles, 'Designer British Silver from studios established 1930-1985', (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors Club, 2015)

British Newspaper Archive, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, 'An Experiment in Silver Craft', Volume 49/No.280, published July 1926, by Viscount Churchill and Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith, accessed via www.jstor.org

Helen Clifford, 'Cups for the King', Country Life Magazine, November 18th, 1993, pp.52-53

Horse-Racing / Solario, 'Cotton Town Blackburn with Darwen', accessed via www.cottontown.org

The Goldsmiths' Company, 'Treasures of the Twentieth Century', (The Goldsmiths' Company: London 2000), p.45

The Goldsmiths' Company Archives on the Ascot Gold Cup 1925, 1926 and 1927, correspondence

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, June 26th 1926, p.769

'Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951', accessed via www.sculpture.gla.ac.uk

The Sphere, 'A Week of Racing at Royal Ascot', June 26th 1926, p.327

Victoria and Albert Museum, 'Sporting Glory, The Courage Exhibition of National Trophies at the Victoria and Albert Museum', publication for the exhibition, London 1992

Nell Rhys Williams, 'Royal Goldsmiths – Garrard Design and Patronage in the Twentieth Century', (London: Garrard & Co., 1993)