Hair of Shergar, Red Rum, Arkle and more could prove a snip at £50,000 at charity auction

A collection of hair from famous racehorses, including Shergar, is among a host of historic memorabilia due to be sold in the Race To History auction in Newmarket next Wednesday. 

The collection, which is estimated at £50,000 and curated by racing fan Ray Goddard until his death in 2004, features more than 850 locks of hair from iconic racing names such as Shergar, Red Rum, Arkle and Nijinsky. Hair from legendary Classic winners Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard are valued to make up to £600 each as individual lots. 

The items form part of the Weatherbys-backed charity auction at the National Horse Racing Museum, where specially donated lots will raise money for the Bob Champion Cancer Fund, the Injured Jockeys Fund and Racing Welfare. 

"Collecting locks of horse hair might seem like an unusual pastime, but it's provided us with an incredible archive, featuring some of the most famous horses the racing world has seen," said Graham Budd, auctioneer and owner of host Graham Budd Auctions. "It tells a wonderful story of half a century of racing history.

"It's great to be working alongside Weatherbys again on this auction. The quality and provenance of the items in this sale is unprecedented, and we're fortunate to be selling several lots in aid of some great charities, which have a huge impact in the racing world and beyond. We've had plenty of interest from around the world, so we're in a good position to raise a lot of money for these good causes."

The Cheltenham Gold Cup won by Cottage Rake in 1948 is up for auctionCredit: Weatherbys

More than 500 lots are due to be auctioned, including the 1948 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The trophy, won by Cottage Rake for Vincent O'Brien, is valued between £10,000 and £15,000 and will be sold alongside the silks worn by jockey Aubrey Brabazon. 

Also up for sale is the 1875 Chesterfield Cup won by Sir Anthony de Rothschild's Coomassie, with an estimated price of upwards of £20,000, and horseshoes owned by Shergar's work-rider Cliff Lines. 

The BHA is selling silks available to register, including the famous blue and yellow colours donned by five-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Golden Miller and the brown and beige pattern sported by Lester Piggott for his 1972 Derby win on Roberto. 

Buyers will able to bid online, by telephone or in person at the auction, which will start at 1pm in the museum's John Lambton Room. The lots can be viewed in full here.

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