The House supplied trophies to Royal Ascot through its 164 years as Crown Jeweller, returning to this prestigious commission in recent years. From the very beginning, each trophy design has had to meet the monarch’s approval, and together they reflect changing tastes through the years.
In 2018, the Gold Cup, Queen’s Vase and Royal Hunt Cup will be joined by seven new trophies in silver, for winners of the other Group 1 races at Royal Ascot. Starting a new tradition, the winners of these Group 1 races will this year be allowed to keep their trophies in perpetuity.
The opportunity to create new trophy designs for this esteemed event was an exciting one for Garrard’s Head of Design, Claire Scott. “Looking back through the House’s many Royal Ascot trophies was a fascinating and inspiring experience,” she says. “The cups from Queen Victoria’s time were extraordinarily ornate, but I was especially drawn to the classic, sleek designs of the 1930s.”
Their clean lines and striking silhouettes can be seen in the new trophies for 2018. Garrard is all about the details, and running around the base of the trophies is the Royal Ascot pattern of classic racing silk designs. “The prestige of having a Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of racehorse ownership,” added Charlie Liverton, Racehorse Owners Association CEO. “It is therefore fitting that a royal jeweller, with a racing heritage as rich as Garrard, has created the trophies and winning mementos, providing a perpetual reminder of exceptional equine achievement.”
The new Royal Ascot commissions will be the latest additions to Garrard’s rich heritage of creating some of the most illustrious trophies in the world. Each one follows in the tradition established by founder silversmith George Wickes in 1735, achieving a balance of iconic design and impeccable execution.
So just who is favourite to win one of these iconic cups? Fitzdares shared their typically candid view on the second-to-last day of Royal Ascot: “Equilateral could be the real deal in the Commonwealth Cup (15.40). He won at Doncaster in a blistering time and Charlie Hills, his trainer, had a glint in his eye when questioned about him last week.”
