Racehorse Hair Collection Sells for £38,000

A collection comprising over 850 racehorse hair samples achieved a sale price of £38,000. Ray Goddard amassed these hair specimens from the manes and tails of renowned racehorses globally, a pursuit he undertook from 1948 until his death in 2004. This assortment includes hair strands from champion thoroughbreds such as Red Rum, Shergar, Arkle, and Nijinsky. The sale occurred at the National Horseracing Museum, located in Newmarket, on Wednesday. Graham Budd, an auctioneer operating from Northamptonshire, managed the auction, having previously estimated its value to be between £40,000 and £50,000. Mr. Budd stated: “Ray Goddard was a lorry driver and had no connections to racing but his passion was the racehorses.” He added: “Any spare time he had, he would go around to racehorse stables and seek permission to come away with hair from the tail or mane.” Mr. Budd further noted: “He was based near Reading but travelled all over the country, Ireland, America and France.” Among the most renowned horses represented in Goddard’s collection is Shergar, who gained notoriety for being kidnapped in 1983 and was subsequently never publicly sighted again. Shergar, whose estimated value was £10m, was widely thought to have been abducted by the IRA, an organization reportedly in need of funds and seeking new financial avenues. Mr. Budd commented: “He was an amazing horse.” He continued: “He won the derby in Epson in 1981 by 10 lengths which is the biggest margin ever.” Mr. Budd added: “It is incredible that we have a piece of him.” He concluded: “He went on to win the King George Race in 1981, which is the day Ray got his hair.” Red Rum secured victories in the Grand National in 1973, 1974, and 1977, and achieved second place in both 1975 and 1976. This Irish champion thoroughbred passed away in 1995, having competed in 100 races throughout its career. Mr. Budd stated: “Ray took his hair at Newbury Racecourse Stables on the 15 September 1978.” He further remarked: “Red Rum and Shergar are just two of the absolute highlights in this collection.”