Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 712    Session 3 (2.30pm)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $20,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $22,000

BROKEN HILL CUP, 1911, in 18ct gold (570g; 22.9cm) by Frederick Bass�, art nouveau claret jug style with engraved arabesque pattern near top and bottom, removed from circular ebony base, cup with inscription, '1911/BROKEN HILL CUP/ won by/'MASTER KORAN'/3Yrs'. Uncirculated and rare.

The horserace for the Broken Hill Cup was first contested over a two mile course in 1899 with a prize of two hundred sovereigns. By the year 1910 the prize was three hundred sovereigns and a silver cup valued at ten pounds. This silver cup was adorned on the top with the figure of Victory. It was donated by Broken Hill Jockey Club committee member Mr E.Boan. In this year one of the runners was from the Koran tribe, namely Lord Koran which led for most of the race but finished out of a place.

In 1911 the prize was altered to three hundred sovereigns and a gold cup of a guaranteed value of one hundred pounds. A report on page one in the newspaper, The Barrier Miner, Thursday 6 July 1911, stated, 'The gold cup, to be presented to the owner of the winner of the big race, in connection with the Broken Hill Jockey Club's carnival meeting on July 10, arrived from the makers this morning. The cup is a splendid specimen of the goldsmith's art, and although small in dimensions, is guaranteed to contain 20 ounces of 18-carat gold in its composition. That, with the added stake, as well as the probability of a 'cut' in Tattersall's sweep, should bring a record field to the barrier. The cup will be exhibited in a window of an Argent-street business place, yet to be decided upon, at the end of the week.'

The donor of the 'Cup' was a patron of the club who did so anonymously. The maker was Frederick Bass� who had arrived in South Australia from Dusseldorf in Germany and by 1881 was operating in Adelaide as a diamond setter and in that year had a display at the Adelaide Exhibition. In 1884 he located to 92 Rundle Street and by 1890 had added number 94 to his business. In the early 1900s his business became F.Bass� and Co. Frederick died in 1913 but the firm continued to trade until 1923.

The Barrier Miner newspaper details of the winners and the 1911 Broken Hill Cup race are as follows.

'The Cup went to absolutely the best horse in the race, owned by a local resident, Mr.J.F.Henderson, who throws down the gauntlet to the invaders every year, and it is agreeable to see that he has been successful in keeping the stake in the district this year. Master Koran's sire was sent to the late Henry Warron, of Port Pirie, by Mr Sam Wilson, first manager of Block 14; therefore there is a certain Barrier ring about the win. A noteworthy, feature of the meeting, is the coincidence that the three placed horses in the Cup - Master Koran, Sergius and Schafer were all sired by Koran.

BROKEN HILL CUP of 300 sovs; second horse 40 sovs and third horse 20 sovs; out of stake. A gold cup of a guaranteed value of �100, presented by a patron of the club, will be added to stake of, winner. One and a quarter mile.
Mr T.F.Henderson's b. c., MASTER KORAN, by Koran-Nita Carlyon, 3 years, 8.12 , (Munro) 1

Mr W.Standley's b. c. SERGIUS, by Koran-Lulu, 3 years, 8.8 (Liddle) 2

Mr R.E.Howie's c. g. SCHAFER, by Koran-Ladysmith, 7.0 (Hopwood) 3

Other starters: Son of a Gun, 8.13 (O'Brien); Yuranigh's Daughter, 8.8 (Foulsham); Alarm, 8.7 (Osborne); Tiercel, 7.10 (Bax); Ellerstone II, 7.5 (Whelan); Imilda, 7.3 (Collins); Nallyappa 7.8 (Anderson).

Betting: 3 to 1 v. Yuranigh's Daughter, 4 to 1 v. Son of a Gun, 5 to 1 v. Tiercel and Master Koran, 10 to 1 v. Sergius, 14 to 1 v. Nallyappa and Alarm, 15 to 1 v. Imilda.

At the start the horses did not behave too well, and this was responsible for a very poor start. When the barrier rose Son of a Gun was turned right round, and Imilda also got off badly. After, a furlong had been traversed Master Koran led from Schafer, Yuranigh's Daughter, Nallyappa, Imilda, and Tiercel. Mr. Henderson's horse still led at the back of the course. Ellerstone II held second position, Nallyappa third, and Schafer fourth. Master Koran was showing the others a clean pair of heels at the four-furlongs' post, and entered the straight well ahead of the rest. He maintained his lead, and won easily by two lengths without having been headed from start to finish of the race. Sergius, who ran well throughout, filled second position three-quarters of a length ahead of Schafer, who was third. Alarm was fourth, Tiercel fifth, Yuranigh's Daughter sixth, and Imilda seventh, with Son of a Gun, who never made up the ground he lost at the start, last. Time - 2m. 9 4-5s.

As stated in the report above, Master Koran (1907), sired by Koran (1893) out of the slick little mare Nita Carlyon (1897) was one of several horses sired by Koran. In the lead in to the 'Cup', Master Koran, starting as one of the pre race favourites, won the Christmas Handicap of four hundred sovereigns run on the first day of the Port Adelaide Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham in 1910. Then in 1911, although not a favourite for the Broken Hill Cup, went on to win the race and then in the next year won the Willyama Handicap on 20 July 1912.

The report in the Barrier Miner, Friday 21 July 1911 of the presentation ceremony for the 'Cup' stated,

'In presenting the cheque and Cup to the winner, the chairman said they were all pleased that such a good old Barrier sport as Mr. Henderson had succeeded in winning the 'pot'. He regretted that the donor of the cup was so modest that he declined to allow his name to be mentioned, but they could all feel sure that he was a white man. (Applause) He complimented Mr. Henderson on his success, which was all the more marked in that it was won by a horse of his own breeding, and he hoped that he would have many youngsters of Master Koran's calibre. (Applause)

Mr J.F.Henderson, winner of the Broken Hill Cup, in replying, said that, as the breeder of Master Koran, he 'was pleased with his success. He had tried several times to win the Cup, and was gratified that he had at last bred an animal that was equal to the task and more especially as he had several others of the same breed.'

Master Koran's owner, Mr James Fern Henderson, a horse breeder and formerly of Peter's Hotel, Broken Hill died on 11 March 1929 at his residence at Rushcutters Bay, Sydney.

As already mentioned, this style of gold cup was first awarded in 1911. In the book, Nineteenth Century Australian Silver by J.B.Hawkins, p237, colour plate 83, there is illustrated an identical design of gold cup indicated as c1912. In fact the cup illustrated was the one awarded for 1913. By this year, the manner of inscribing the cup had altered as the inscription reads, BROKEN HILL CUP/1913/Won By/A.E.NOTT/"Londonderry".

With research.