These mugs are manufactured specially for the Museum by Chown China. The Balmoral mugs are bone china. The decoration is fired at above 800°C for everlasting permanence and outstanding dish-washer resistance.

Please DO NOT put boiling water into the porcelain mugs as they are liable to crack. We advise that you place a spoon into the mug when pouring in water that has just finished boiling and this will prevent damage. They are the equivalent of the porcelain tea cup.

The mug has information printed on the reverse side and details some of the history of the Race Sulky.

“The racing ‘Sulky’ was named for its capacity to carry only one person. Early race carts had high wooden wheels and weighed over 100 lbs.

By the 1890s, bicycle wheels replaced the high wheels, reducing the weight of sulkies by half, and the race times of pacers by several seconds, making the 2-minute mile an achievable goal.

In 1893, pneumatic tyres were introduced. In 1903, the first sub 2-minute mile was clocked by a trotter at 1.58 minutes.”