The 1926 Ascot Gold Cup won by Solario, a horse owned by Blackburn brewing magnate Sir John Rutherford, will be offered at Bonhams’ Fine Decorative Arts sale this month.
On Tuesday, November 29, the cup, which is brimming with history, will be up for auction and is estimated to be worth £150,000 to £200,000.
Ellis Finch, Bonhams Head of Silver, said: “The cup 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.
“It forms a pivotal point in the birth of contemporary gold and silver design as we know it today, fostered by the innovative vision and design initiatives launched by George V in 1925.”
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 multi-faceted character, who had been one of Blackburn Rovers' first football players, he later inherited 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 27 years, and was appointed the Mayor of Blackburn in 1898.
His elevation in social standing was cemented by being granted a baronetcy on January 27, 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.
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.
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 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 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.
The trophy will go to auction in New Bond Street, London, from 2pm on November 29, and is also viewabile at the Bonhams website.
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