A Landmark Auction for Horse Racing History
On the 12th - 13th November, we are holding our On the Nose: Horse Racing Memorabilia Live Auction, a sale held in partnership with Weatherbys at the National Horse Racing Museum. Across two days, the sale will bring together centuries of racing history.
On the 12th - 13th November, we are holding our On the Nose: Horse Racing Memorabilia Live Auction, a sale held in partnership with Weatherbys at the National Horse Racing Museum. Across two days, the sale will bring together centuries of racing history.
At the heart of the sale stands Lot 58: an exceptionally early Irish horse racing trophy dated 1701 - possibly the oldest sporting trophy ever to come to auction.
In the world of sport, few items span centuries like this one. Crafted as a silver half-pint tankard by Isaac Dighton of London in 1700, the piece is engraved with a racehorse and jockey, and inscribed:
“All ye Course in ye Ryne in Thomond ye 14th of May. This plate was won by ye 3rd horse Anno Domi 1701.”
Believed to commemorate a race held on the River Rine near Quin, County Clare, this trophy predates almost every known example of a sporting award ever offered for sale. Provenanced to the Westropp family of Ballysteen House, Co. Limerick, it represents a tangible link to the earliest days of organised horse racing in Ireland - an era when local contests laid the foundations for the sport we know today.
We have found few objects that come close in age. The 1713 York Gold Cup, presented by Queen Anne, now resides in the Fairfax House Collection, while the 1721 Kilwinning Archery Snuff Mull is among the earliest surviving competitive prizes. The only known older trophy, the Carlisle Bell of 1559, has never been sold commercially. This makes the 1701 trophy not just an artefact, but a lot steeped in sporting history - a museum-worthy piece of craftsmanship and competition.
Beyond this headline lot, On the Nose offers a range of pieces that trace the sport’s most storied chapters. Among them are two remarkable lots with royal provenance: jewellery pins gifted to champion jockey John “Jack” Watts (1861-1902) - one from his King, and another from the King’s celebrated mistress, Lillie Langtry, the “Jersey Lily.” The latter comes complete with a handwritten note of gratitude.
The sale also celebrates horses who redefined the sport’s modern era - including Arkle, Red Rum, and Desert Orchid. Offered are items directly linked to these greats, including horseshoes worn by Arkle and Red Rum, and a saddle cloth from Troy, the Derby winner of 1979. Each piece of memorabilia represents the power and heart that made these horses so memorable.
Another headline lot is the number cloth from Nijinsky’s 1970 St Leger victory, signed by Lester Piggott and inscribed “NIJINSKY, LEGER 1970.” That triumph sealed Nijinsky’s Triple Crown - the last in English racing history. No horse has matched the feat since, though Camelot’s near miss in 2012 reminded the sport how hard such triumph is to.
From the 1701 trophy to the icons of the 20th century, this auction spans more than 300 years of horse racing history. Each lot tells its own story - of competition, craftsmanship, and victory.
On the Nose: Horse Racing Memorabilia will take place on Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th of November at the National Horse Racing Museum, Newmarket.
Register to bid before the auction starts and secure your place in this rare celebration of sporting heritage.
Nijinsky's number cloth from the 1970 St Leger! 😮
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 10, 2025
This is just one of the 720 lots up for auction this week at @NHRMuseum in partnership with @weatherbysltd and @buddsauctions.
Hit the video to see images of more great lots plus further details 👇