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Lot 2240
A George V Gold Match-Box Case, by Cartier, London, 1931, 18ct oblong and with an engine-turned finish, thumbpiece set with four calibre-cut sapphires, engraved inside with an inscription62mm long, gross weight 1oz 9dwt, 45.2grThe inscription reads '"Dante" Winner of the Derby June 1945 to W. Nevett from Martin Benson'.Dante (1942–1956) was a British thoroughbred racehorse who famously won the Derby in 1945 at Newmarket. Often described as a handsome colt, Dante was bred and owned by the Swedish-born shipping magnate Sir Eric Olof Ohlson at Manor House Stud in Middleham. Dante was trained by Matthew Peacock of the Peacock family who trained horses in Middleham over an eighty-year period. In response to Dante’s illustrious win at the 1945 Derby, Peacock humbly quipped 'Aye, he goes a bit'. Dante’s effortless wins place him firmly within the canon of British horse racing.Dante’s sire was Nearco, a leading horse in the United Kingdom and Ireland, having been bred by Federico Tesio, who has been described as one of the greatest figures in Italian horse racing. Nearco won fourteen races including the Gran Premio d'Italia in 1938 and the Grand Prix de Paris in 1938.Nicknamed the 'Hope of the North', Dante was the last horse trained in northern England to win the Derby and the first northern horse to win since 'Pretender' in 1869, who had been trained in Middleham by Tom Dawson. In memoriam to Dante’s successful racing and stud career, York Racecourse named a Group Two race in his honour, and as such the Dante Stakes has been a key fixture in British horse racing since 1958.The match-box case was presented to Dante's jockey, William Nevett (1906-1992), who spent a good part of his life living in Northallerton. Nevett was a famous English flat-racing jockey and the leading jockey in the North of England at the time. Nevett claimed five major race wins, three in the Derby in 1941, 1944, and 1945 respectively. Following his win in the 1945 race, Nevett heralded Dante as 'the finest horse I have ever ridden'.Presenting this matchbox to the victorious Nevett was Martin H. Benson (1879–1972), the co-founder of Douglas Stewart, a prominent bookmaker in London and the owner of Beech House Stud in Newmarket. In 1939, Benson purchased Nearco, the sire of Dante, from Federico Tesio and would go on to change the playing field of horse racing in Britain from thereon. Among Nearco’s progeny were 'Nasrullah' who was the top-rated colt in 1942, 'Royal Charger', the winner of the Queen Anne Stakes in 1946 and 'Sayajirao' (the brother of Dante) who won the St. Leger Stakes in 1947. Fully marked inside cover and further part marked inside base and on thumbpiece. Further stamped 'Cartier London' and numbered '6683'. The marks are generally clear. There is some minor surface scratching and wear, consistent with age and use. There are some minor bruises.
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