A portrait of a famous jockey by the Irish artist Sir John Lavery, which will be sold at auction in Lincoln this week, has created unprecedented national interest.
The oil sketch of Thomas Weston, who won the 1946 Lincolnshire Handicap, was found in a house-clearance in Lincoln, along with a photograph of the jockey at the Carholme Racecourse after winning the race.
A similar sketch was sold at Christies last year for more than £132,000.
The painting is signed, "To Thomas Weston from Sir John Lavery 1935" and on the reverse is written, "Mr Thomas Weston, Jockey, York House, All Saints Terrace, Newmarket".
It is being sold by Lincoln auctioneers Thomas Mawer and Son on Wednesday.
Auctioneer Mr Clinton Slingsby said: "The painting has already created a huge and unprecedented amount of national interest and all our telephone lines are booked for that lot. As it is a unique item, the price is very unpredictable.
"We believe it will hold great appeal to the racing fraternity, particularly those interested in horse-racing memorabilia. It could well be something that the Irish collectors may take an interest in."
Lavery first painted racing scenes at Newmarket in 1913 and in 1919, he painted The Derby in the Rain. In 1923, he painted The Jockeys' Dressing Room at Ascot, which is currently held at London's Tate Britain gallery, and the following year, he painted the weighing room at Hurst Park, incorporating 13 of the most famous jockeys of the day.
It is said that Lavery once persuaded a jockey named Donoghue that if he posed on the scales he would win the Lincoln Handicap. When he did, the other jockeys believed it was good luck to touch the artist's shoulder before going out to race.
Weston was first jockey to the 17th Earl of Derby, from 1923 to 1934.
The highest price for a Lavery achieved by Christies, London, was £1.3 million for the oil on canvas of The Bridge at Grez (1883) in December 1998.
Mr Bernard Williams, director of Irish artists for Christies, London, said that Lavery was very popular in Ireland and also in Scotland.
"We sold a sketch in an Irish sale which was estimated to make between £50-80,000 but soared to just over £100,000. Two people keen on horse-racing were bidding for it and so the price just escalated."