Study of Eph Smith in the Royal Colours in the Paddock at Epsom

A preparatory study for H.M. The Queen and ‘Aureole’ in the Paddock at Epsom before the Coronation Cup at the Derby meeting, 1954 (sold in these Rooms, 30 June 2016, lot 16, £2,098,500, fig. 1). A larger example of the finished picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1957 (no. 148) and presented by Viscount Astor to the Queen. Munnings painted a number of preparatory studies of the different figures in the finished painting, of which this is one.

The Coronation Cup first took place in 1902 to celebrate the accession to the throne of King Edward VII, the Queen’s great-grandfather. The race in 1954 was particularly resonant as it was run almost exactly on the anniversary of H.M. The Queen’s own Coronation which had taken place at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 2 June 1953. Joined by her trainer, Captain Cecil (later Sir Cecil) Boyd-Rochfort and her racing team, as well as her mother and sister, Princess Margaret, Her Majesty stood in the Paddock at Epsom alongside other owners. She then watched the race from the Royal Box as Aureole won the race by five lengths. This was followed by wins at the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July 1954, a race the Queen had named after her parents.

Aureole was the Queen’s most successful racehorse, and earned her the position of leading owner in 1954, winning four out of his five races. A bright chestnut with a white blaze and three white socks, he was sired by Hyperion, the Derby and St Leger winner in 1933 and a leading sire. His dam Angelola, second in the 1948 Oaks and winner at the Yorkshire Oaks, also came from a royal line of breeding. Aureole was bred by King George VI, the Queen’s father and, being temperamental and excitable, was known to have relished chasing stud staff around his field as they tried to retrieve him for stabling in the evenings. He was trained by Captain Boyd-Rochfort at Freemason Lodge Stables in Newmarket, and became a champion sire in 1960 and 1961.

(Eric) Eph Smith (1915-1972) rode over 2000 winners between 1930 and 1965. There were only four other jockeys who had ridden more at the time of his death. Before 1936 he was leading apprentice for three years running and during his career he was among the top five jockeys ten times.

We are grateful to the Curatorial staff at The Munnings Art Museum, and Lorian Peralta-Ramos for their assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.