Sea Pigeon racing memorabilia from first Champion Hurdle comes under the hammer

It recalls arguably one of the coolest rides ever witnessed at Cheltenham and celebrates the achievements of a jumping and Flat legend.

Now the trophy and commemorative medal presented to owner Pat Muldoon after Sea Pigeon's first Champion Hurdle victory in 1980 is available to the highest bidder at auction.

Produced by the then race sponsors Waterford Crystal, the trophy is lot 1822 in an online sale of sporting memorabilia being held by the Glasgow-based McTear's Auctioneers, whose guide price for the two items is between £2,000 and £4,000.

Sea Pigeon (nearest) went down to defeat to Monksfield in the 1979 Champion Hurdle but would turn the tables 12 months laterCredit: Gerry Cranham (Cranhamphoto.com)

Sea Pigeon forms the last link to what many regard as a golden age of Champion Hurdle winners, his victories in 1980 and again at the age of 11 the following year marking the end of a sequence of multiple winners stretching back to Persian War in the late 1960s.

Sea Pigeon was trained by Peter Easterby to win an Ebor under 10st on the Flat in 1979 but it is the Cheltenham battles with stablemate Night Nurse and Ireland's Monksfield for which he is best remembered.

Many felt Sea Pigeon's chances of winning a Champion Hurdle had gone by 1980 but Jonjo O'Neill conjured a winning run out of the son of Sea Bird from the back of the final flight to charge home and deny the hat-trick seeking Monksfield.

A year later O'Neill missed the race with a broken leg, leaving John Francome to deliver Sea Pigeon with 100 yards left and coast past Pollardstown and Daring Run.

The auction runs online until 8pm on October 20 and bids can be registered on the mctears.co.uk website using this link

Read exclusive previews from 6pm daily on racingpost.com