A painting by Irish artist Sir John Lavery that seemed destined for a car-boot sale was sold at auction in Britain yesterday for almost €18,000.
The 1935 oil sketch portrait of renowned British jockey Thomas Weston was bought by a collector from the south of England, who has an interest in the horse-racing industry.
Auctioneer Mr Clinton Slingsby of Thomas Mawer & Son in Lincoln, where the auction was held, said initially it was hard to place a value on the sketch but the pre-bidding estimate was set between £5,000 and £9,000 sterling.
The painting, which was spotted by chance during a house clearance in Lincoln, sold after some brisk bidding for £10,900 sterling.
"Considering it was probably on its way to a car-boot sale, where it would have sold for £10, the executors are very pleased with the price," said Mr Slingsby.
Thomas Weston had already served as first jockey to the Earl of Derby when he sat for the portrait, but his reputation was sealed some years later when he won the 1946 Lincolnshire Handicap.
He was one of many jockeys Sir John Lavery painted while recording scenes at key British racing venues, such as Newmarket and Ascot, in the early decades of the 20th century.