King Charles II honoured at Newmarket with statue unveiled by Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla
Posted on - 18 Jul 2016
King Charles II honoured at Newmarket with statue unveiled by Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla
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A statue of King Charles II unveiled after the special running of the Newmarket Town Plate on 7th July.
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A legacy for the town to mark special year
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Production of the statue only made possible by a donation from Dr Cyrus Poonawalla , fundraising from Town Plate riders, led by Newmarket Racecourses Committee member Frances Stanley and the support of the Works of Art Committee at the House of Lords
King Charles II, pivotal to the establishment and evolution of Newmarket as the Home of Horseracing, was honoured by Newmarket Racecourses during a special year for the town as 2016 marks the 350th anniversary of organised and modern horseracing.
A statue of King Charles II was unveiled following a special running of the Newmarket Town Plate on Thursday, 7th July, the first day of the Moët and Chandon July Festival. The production of this statue has only been made possible by a very generous donation from Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, owner of Dual Group 1 winning stallion Roderic O’Connor who stands at the National Stud in Newmarket, as well as tireless fundraising from Newmarket Racecourses committee member Frances Stanley in particular, as well as other riders contesting this year’s Town Plate. Following a successful application to the Works of Art Committee at the House of Lords, who have been extremely supportive of the whole process, a copy of a cast of King Charles II, which currently stands at the Old Bailey in London, has been taken to produce a 120% life sized replica that was made out of a marble composition.
King Charles II inaugurated the “Twelve Stone Plate”, known today as the Newmarket Town Plate, in 1665 whereby a set of Articles were passed stating the race was to be run every year on the second Thursday in October. The first running was thought to have taken place the following year in 1666 however the first recorded running of the race was 1671 and was won by none other than King Charles II himself, the only reigning monarch still believed to have ridden a winner.
The unveiling of the statue, as well as this year’s renewal of the Town Plate, made up two of the commemorative events and activities carried out by a number of stakeholders throughout the town in celebration of the 350th anniversary.
Following the Moët and Chandon July Festival, the statue of King Charles II will then be permanently moved to the Premier Enclosure Courtyard at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse for visitors to enjoy for many years to come.
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