A collection of more than 850 samples of hair from racehorses has sold for £38,000.

Ray Goddard collected hair from the manes and tails of some of the world’s most famous racehorses between 1948 and 2004, when he died.

The collection contains locks of hair from Red Rum, Shergar, Arkle, Nijinsky and other champion thoroughbreds.

It was sold at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket on Wednesday.

Northamptonshire-based auctioneer Graham Budd oversaw the auction and had placed an estimate of between £40,000 to £50,000 ahead of the event.

Mr Budd said: “Ray Goddard was a lorry driver and had no connections to racing but his passion was the racehorses.

“Any spare time he had, he would go around to racehorse stables and seek permission to come away with hair from the tale or mane.

“He was based near Reading but travelled all over the country, Ireland, America and France.”

One of the most famous horses in Goddard’s collection is Shergar, who was famously kidnapped in 1983 and never seen again in public.

It was believed Shergar, who was valued at £10m, was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding.

Mr Budd said: “He was an amazing horse.

“He won the derby in Epson in 1981 by 10 lengths which is the biggest margin ever.

“It is incredible that we have a piece of him.

“He went on to win the King George Race in 1981, which is the day Ray got his hair.”

Red Rum won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977 and came second in 1975 and 1976.

The Irish champion horse died in 1995 and took part in 100 races across its career.

“Ray took his hair at Newbury Racecourse Stables on the 15 September 1978,” Mr Budd said.

“Red Rum and Shergar are just two of the absolute highlights in this collection.”