Trophy Irish buy at Sotheby’s From Earth to Fire sale

A slice of Irish equine history in the shape of the Sir Robert Peel Challengeable Cup of the Turf Club of Ireland is coming up for auction at Sotheby’s “From Earth to Fire” sale in London next month .

Sir Robert Peel was responsible for setting up both the Royal Irish Constabulary and the British police force – members of which which were promptly dubbed “peelers” and “bobbies” by their critics in ironic reference to his name . So it is interesting that his moniker also lives on through this George III two-handed silver trophy, which was first presented at the Curragh, Co Kildare, on June 11th, 1819.

Peel became MP for Cashel, Co Tipperary, in 1809 and, after a rapid rise through the ranks of the Conservative party, was invited to become chief secretary of Ireland in 1812, a post he held for six years.

The trophy, made by Benjamin Smith of London, is engraved on one side: “This cup presented by the Right Honble Robert Peel to the Turf Club of Ireland to be challenged and run for every June and October meeting under an article published in the Racing Calendar 1819.”

Racing vignette

The other side shows a racing vignette between scrolled foliage and bunches of grapes. The cup has a detachable cover inscribed with the names of the winners from 1819 to 1838. In the summer of 1819, James Daly’s four-year-old colt Dandy, ridden by Thomas Connolly, took the honours: the following summer it was the turn of a horse called Regent, while in October 1829, June 1830 and October 1830, the winner was Skylark.

The winners are listed in Robert Hunter’s racing calendar for 1848: after that, the trophy’s whereabouts are unknown until it reappeared in Denmark in 1951. It was won during the 1953-54 season by Niels Schibbye, owner of the Stud Brandenbjerg.

The trophy’s mentor, meanwhile, didn’t come to such a happy ending: Peel was thrown from his horse while riding on Constitution Hill in London in June 1850; the horse fell on top of him and he died three days later age of 62.

The trophy is Lot 187, with an estimate of £10,000-£15,000.

See sothebys.com