Dublin auction house gives Arkle devotees the chance to own x-rays of Himself

For the racing fan who has everything, next month there will be the chance to acquire something very much out of the ordinary, with Dublin auction house Whyte's set to sell not one, not two but 20 x-rays of racing legend Arkle.

The plates show images of the incomparable chaser's off-fore lower leg and hoof, clearly displaying the pedal bone injury sustained during the 1966 King George VI Chase that ultimately led to his retirement.

Bids of at least €1,500 are already being accepted in advance of the sale, for which the auctioneer's estimate is €2,500 to €3,000.

The plates, taken under the supervision of vet Jim Kavanagh between January and December 1967, give a series of frontal and side views of the injury that it is thought occurred when Arkle struck the guard rail of a fence.

One potential bidder for the x-rays is Arkle memorabilia collector Nick O'Toole, who owns a treasure trove of items that already includes one x-ray and a piece of the horse's tail.

"I don't think there will be enormous interest as x-rays all look the same and the estimate price seems a little exorbitant," said O'Toole.

"Having said that, I would definitely be interested myself as the x-rays could go with the rest of my collection. Each one shows the date on which the x-ray was taken and they also all have Arkle's name on them, so they are genuine.

"It's true they don't show very much, and they are pretty nondescript, but they are a unique and historic part of Arkle history, which makes them a very important piece of memorabilia, particularly as they relate back to the period when people were asking if would he race again. He did come back into training but he never raced."

The Whyte's sale takes place at the Freemasons Hall, Dublin, on Saturday, May 5.

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