Racing fans paid almost £145,000 yesterday in a bidding frenzy for souvenirs of Lester Piggott's memorable riding career.

Piggott fans packed the London auctioneers Sotheby's for a morning of spirited bidding after Britain's most famous jockey had a good clear-out of his attic and put some of his most famous trophies up for sale.

"He genuinely felt that he wanted his fans to have an opportunity to buy a souvenir of his career," Sotheby's racing specialist, Graham Budd, said.

He knew bidding would be frenetic, as even the catalogue was sold out days in advance. Piggott agonised over which trophies to include in the sale, which he did not attend.

New Yorker Jamie Brown flew in specially to buy a saddle bag for his shop which specialises in equine memorabilia. "I am absolutely delighted with my investment," he said.

Former Belfast bookmaker James Flood came over from Northern Ireland to spend up to £30,000 on mementoes belonging to the jockey whose illustrious half century in the saddle brought 5,300 victories in 30 countries.

"Piggott is without doubt the greatest jockey of all time. Frankie Dettori doesn't hold a candle to him," he said.

The top lot, a John Skeaping painting of Mill Reef, was sold for £21,850 to private London collector Brian Stewart-Brown.

Piggott, who donated a percentage from the sale to the injured jockeys' fund, spent six months choosing what would be auctioned.

"He has said a last goodbye to his trophies. There were some last-minute withdrawals and changes of heart," Sotheby's Budd revealed.

"The trophies were just a fraction of his total collection. There simply wasn't enough room to put them out in his house. They were packed up in boxes or in bank vaults," he said.

The sale highlighted how Piggott became the world's first truly international jockey, with trophies from Malaysia to Venezuela, South Africa to Hong Kong.

Among the more sentimental lots were a projector and an archive of 51 films which his father, Keith, compiled over Lester's long and illustrious career.

Films of Piggott's nine Epsom Derby winners proved to be an invaluable guide to young pretenders seeking to emulate the masterly exploits of the lanky legend known as "The Long Fellow".

"The advice he gave was the best advice you could get and it was an essential part of winning the Derby," said jockey Alan Munro, who went on to win the world's most famous horse race on Generous in 1991.