A PIECE of horseracing history will be on show in Oxfordshire this week.

The original Cheltenham Gold Cup is at Blenheim Palace for the International Horse Trials, which starts today.

The trophy, which is almost 100 years old, is on display at Blenheim for a week as part of the four-day event.

Oxford Mail: The original Cheltenham Gold Cup is at Blenheim Palace. Picture: Pete SeawardThe original Cheltenham Gold Cup is at Blenheim Palace. Picture: Pete Seaward

The Jockey Club, which owns Cheltenham Racecourse, is organising the event for the first time and has given permission for Blenheim to put the trophy on display.

Kate Ballenger, keeper of palace and collections at Blenheim, said: “Blenheim has a close association with horse and equestrian that goes back many centuries.

“There was even a racecourse on the estate itself in the 18th and 19th centuries, and earlier this year we opened a major new exhibition dedicated to the role of horses on the estate within the palace’s former stableyard.”

The 1924 Cheltenham Gold Cup weighs 644 grams of nine carat gold and is plated in 18 carat gold.

Oxford Mail: The original Cheltenham Gold Cup is at Blenheim Palace. Picture: Pete SeawardThe original Cheltenham Gold Cup is at Blenheim Palace. Picture: Pete Seaward