CHURCHILL SIGNS A VOUCHER TO THE ASCOT RACES

CHURCHILL, Winston. Printed voucher to the Ascot horse races signed. London: July, 1951. Printed gray paper, measuring approximately 5 by 3 1/4 inches. FRAMED WITH: Typed letter, one sheet of buff paper, measuring 5 by 8 inches. Framed with photograph of Churchill, entire piece measures measures 17 1/4 by 15 inches. $8500.

1951 voucher to the Ascot races, signed by Churchill. This voucher filled out to his son, Randolph, enabling him to watch his father’s horse race. Accompanied by letter to Randolph from one of Churchill’s secretaries. Handsomely framed with a black-and-white photograph of the prime minister.

The voucher, bearing Churchill's signature on the "Member's Signature" line, is made out to Churchill's son Randolph. A letter from one of Churchill's secretaries accompanies the voucher for the Ascot races. The younger Churchill would have been going to Ascot to watch his father's horse, Colonist II, race. "In 1949, the Epsom vet Major Anthony Carey Foster (later racing manager for Churchill) saw an unprepossessing grey colt running in France; while only half-fit, the horse still finished second. Impressed, Carey Foster bought him for the trainer Walter Nightingall, who showed him to Christopher Soames, Churchill's son-in-law. Churchill was Leader of the Opposition, having been cast out as Prime Minister in 1945; Soames evidently felt that he needed a new interest and talked him into buying the grey. The horse's name was Colonist II… [he won] 13 races in his career and nearly £12,000 in prize money… [and] even reflected Churchill's politics by running best on courses bending to the right" (Churchill Centre).

A fine piece of Churchilliana, handsomely framed.