Attributed to Samuel Henry Alken (British, 1810-1894) The Finish of the 1818 Derby, Sam Chifney Jnr riding Mr Thornhill's Sam oil on canvas 168 x 260cm (66 1/8 x 102 3/8in). Footnotes: Provenance With Daniel Hunt Fine Art, London. Private collection, UK. Samuel Chifney Jnr, born in 1786, was the younger son of the celebrated rider Samuel Chifney Sr and one of the most naturally gifted English jockeys of the early 19th century. He emerged as a major figure at Newmarket in the spring of 1805, when he won the Claret Stakes aboard Pavilion for Lord Darlington, defeating the previous year's Derby, Oaks and St Leger winners. In terms of sheer talent he reportedly outshone all his contemporaries, though they also used to say that he possessed 'a self-destruct button and a fatal tendency to press it', proving that his brilliance was not always converted into lasting achievement. Chifney nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable racing career. He won the Oaks five times: on Briseis (1807), Sorcery (1811), Landscape (1816), Shoveller (1819) and Wings (1823). He also took the Derby twice, on Sam (a horse named after himself) in 1818 and on Sailor in 1820. In 1843, at the age of fifty-seven, he added the One Thousand Guineas to his record when he rode Extempore to victory. Alongside his brother William Chifney, who was a trainer, he ran stables at Newmarket, training horses for both Mr Thornhill and Lord Darlington. The brothers also maintained a small stud of their own, but financial difficulties forced the sale of their horses in June 1834. Samuel Chifney Jnr died in Hove, Sussex, in 1854 and was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (The Packengers, Unit 9, Abbey Mead Industrial Park, Brooker Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1HU, England, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 10 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing