Hurlingham Fine Arts

Description

A sporting watercolour of Colonel Kumar Sri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, H.H. The Maharajah Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (1872-1933) pictured with jockey R.A.(Bobby)Jones entitled " A Glance to Leg!". Painted by Peter R.G.Buchanan (1886-1965), otherwise known as The Tout.

The Maharajah owned a number of racehorses, almost all being trained at Freemason's Lodge, Newmarket, by Alf Sadler. Sadler was a good friend of the Maharajah and, along with his lead jockey R.A. Jones, often spent holidays in India with the Maharajah.

In 1920 the Maharajah purchased 3 horses, Western Wave, which later won the Goodwood Stewards Cup, but in different ownership, Bruce Lodie, one time favourite for the Derby, and Monteith which won at Kempton Park on 11th August 1920. Given that his horses were trained by Alf Sadler, they would have all been ridden by R.A. (Bobby) Jones. He still owned racehorses in 1930, particularly Flori and Juverna. However, one of his best horses was Ruysdael (100/30 fav) which was ridden to victory by R.A.Jones on 14th October 1924 in the Autumn Handicap at Newmarket.
Our thanks to John Slusar for compiling this racing information for us.

The Maharajah was known as the father of Indian cricket. He played for Cambridge University, Sussex, London County and, in 15 Test matches, for England. He perfected and popularised the "leg glance", a batting shot played off the hip when the ball is pitched on leg stump and back a length. Hence a play on the title of the present watercolour " A glance to leg!"

Signed by The Tout.

The artist, Peter Ronald Griffiths-Buchanan (1886-1965), was a famous sporting illustrator who drew caricatures, mainly of horse racing society, that were published in The Tatler and The Bystander. He exhibited 128 drawings at Walker's Gallery, London in 1931.