On the trophy trail: how courses and sponsors are trying to up their game - amid mixed feelings from owners

When you strike gold and are fortunate enough to own a horse as phenomenally successful as Highfield Princess, it might be easy to become immune to the pleasure of having yet another big-race trophy to add to your collection. Not if you are John Fairley, however. 

Fairley's brilliant mare will chase her sixth Group prize in little more than a year in next week’s Nunthorpe Stakes at York. During her rapid rise last season, her owner picked up trophies for races such as the Flying Five at the Curragh, the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and, of course, last year's Nunthorpe. Yet he has not tired of them at all – which is at least in part a tribute to the increasing thought put by racecourses and sponsors into how they can suitably reward winning owners.

It is not an exact science. What do you present to connections who might have won hundreds of trophies to make sure your prize is special to them and will stand out from the crowd?