A collection of sporting art and collectibles, belonging to horse racing trainer, Julie Cecil, ‘The Queen of Newmarket,’ will go under the hammer at Cheffins in Cambridge as part of the Fine Sale on the 22nd and 23rd March.
The late Julie Cecil, daughter of Sir Noel Murless, nine times champion trainer, and the first wife of Sir Henry Cecil, one of Britain’s most celebrated members of the horseracing industry, was one of the leading figures of the European racing scene. Following her death in 2022 aged 80, and the sale of her Newmarket home, a number of her possessions will now be offered for sale on behalf of her estate.
Caergwle by Richard Stone Reeves, estimate £3,000 - £5,000
One of the highlights of the collection is a menu from The English Garden on Lincoln Street, London, dated Thursday 2nd May 1996, which had been signed by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and a number of horseracing royalty including Peter Walwyn, Peter O’Sullevan and Angela Oswald, lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and wife of Sir Michael Oswald, the Queen’s leading horseracing trainer. This is part of a mixed lot including a riding crop engraved ‘Julia Murless’ – Julie Cecil’s maiden name – and a number of Noel Murless autographed items. Some of the higher value items include a portrait of winning filly Caergwle at Newmarket, by sporting artist Richard Stone Reeves and dated 1968, which has an estimate of £3,000 - £5,000. Similarly, there is also a large bronze figure of Lorenzaccio, the winning horse which beat famously beat Nijinsky in the Champion Stakes in 1970, ridden by Lester Piggott. This piece is by Bernard Winskill and has an estimate of £800 - £1,200. These pieces are accompanied by various other sporting pictures, furniture, ceramics and collectibles.
Lorenzaccio by Bernard Winskill, estimate £800 - £1,200
Jonathan Law, Head of the Fine Art Division at Cheffins comments: “Julie Cecil was one of the most active and recognisable members of the Newmarket racing scene. She was famous for her wicked sense of humour and her skill as a trainer in her own right. She had a number of excellent horses which she trained from her yard at Southgate Stables, and recorded 190 wins as a trainer, with some of her best horses including Golan Heights, Alderbrook, Gneiss and Dark Den. These items for auction offer an opportunity for collectors and racing enthusiasts to own a part of her legacy, and we are honoured to offer them as part of our Fine Sale.”
Auction: The Fine Sale – 22nd and 23rd March 2023 from 11am
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA