The auction house is holding its third all-day annual racing sale. But this year it is special because of the inclusion of 120 items from Piggott's own personal collection.

Cups include the 1966 Champion Jockey trophy (horse and rider)

The jockey is no stranger to giving saddles, boots and trophies to charities and museums but this is the first major auction of items from his remarkable career.

It is also the first time a jockey's personal trophy collection has been offered for public sale.

The catalogue includes works of art and memorabilia with an estimated value of £100,000.

Although Piggott's finances attracted attention in 1987 when he was jailed for three years for a £3m tax fraud, he says he is not selling because he is short of money - just space.

Sotheby's racing specialist Graham Budd says: "This is just a fraction of Lester's total collection.

"When he came to us he said that he had amassed so much from his career, and racing in general, over the years that he had nowhere to display it all and thought it would be better to sell some of it for others to enjoy properly.

"I helped Lester put the collection together. In the main he wasn't too sad to part with his possessions but some things had such great sentimental value for him that he took them back saying he couldn't bear to part with them."

A proportion of the proceeds will go the Injured Jockeys Fund, of which Piggott has been a longstanding supporter.

Portrait of Lester at Tattenham Corner, Epsom by Susan Crawford (Est: £3,000-4,000)

Lester Piggott rode to victory 5,300 times in more than 30 countries during his 47 years in the saddle. His track record includes nine Derby firsts among a total of 30 English Classic race wins.

As a small show of that legacy, the sale includes six of his 11 Champion Jockey trophies, awarded to the jockey who rides the most winners each year. There are 40 other awards covering almost every area of his success.

The most treasured however - and the one expected to reach up to £4, 000 - is the Champion Jockey trophy of 1966.

That was the year Lester rode a career best of 191 winners. The other five trophies are expected to fetch between £1,800 and £3,000, depending on their year.

The most expensive lot is an equestrian bronze by the 19th century French Sculptor Pierre-Jules Mene, which is expected to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000.

But in the same way that Piggott's appeal spread across the board from racing expert to housewife, the sale offers a range of items for different pockets and tastes.

Bell and Howell projector and archive footage (Est:£2,000-3,000)

Collectors or those looking for a memento which will not break the bank can pick up lesser trophies and awards for a few hundred pounds.

The cheapest trophy is a presentation from the Jersey Race Club estimated at £100-150.