The present painting was commissioned from Sir Alfred Munnings in 1937 by Francis Bingham Mildmay, 1st Baron Mildmay of Flete (1861-1947) and shows his son, Anthony Bingham Mildmay (1909-1950) on Davy Jones in the paddock at Aintree before the 1936 Grand National. The two men in the picture behind Davy Jones are, on the right, Francis Mildmay and, on the left, the horse’s trainer, Harry Wightman.

Davy Jones started at 100-1, led all the way and was clear of Fulke Walwyn on Reynoldstown when, jumping the second last fence Anthony Mildmay slipped the reins to allow Davy Jones to balance himself, only to find that the buckle at the end of the reins had come undone and they slipped through his hands, leaving him without any control. Davy Jones ran out at the last fence and Reynoldstown went on to win.

Anthony Mildmay was the Leading Amateur jockey four times; however, his most notable legacy was kindling an interest in jump-racing in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. At a dinner in Windsor Castle in 1949, Mildmay sat next to the Queen and persuaded her that he should buy her a horse to share with her daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Mildmay’s trainer Peter Cazalet selected Monaveen who won his first race for them at Fontwell Park, finished second in the Grafton Sefton Chase at Aintree, and then took the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Chase at Hurst Park. The result was a passion for the sport that continues in the Royal Family to this day.

The present painting is an exceptional example of Munnings’s technical ability and painterly bravura, and demonstrates his place as one of the most accomplished equestrian painters of the 20th century. Horse and rider are given height and splendour to create a captivating image. With confident, fluid brushwork Munnings renders the sheen of the horse’s coat, revealing his understanding of equine structure and movement; atop, Mildmay sits prominently in his distinctive racing silks. The surrounding figures—trainers, officials, and fellow participants—are loosely painted but carefully placed, providing context without distracting from the central pairing of horse and rider.

Widely celebrated in his lifetime, Munnings served as President of the Royal Academy from 1944 to 1949 and was knighted in recognition of his contribution to British art. Although often viewed as a traditionalist in an era of rapid artistic change, Munnings’ work is distinguished by its energy, confidence and immediacy, exemplified in the present work.

It was Munnings’ second commission for Lord Mildmay, having previously painted the large-scale Lord and Lady Mildmay of Flete, with their Children, Helen and Anthony, with a View towards Ermington in Devonshire in 1923, which was exhibited at The Royal Academy the following year. The painting was later sold at Christie’s, New York, 1 December 1999, lot 144 ($4,292,500).