Nick O'Toole: The Collector General 01 January 2011 Premium

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01 January 2011

Mark Costello on 01 Jan 2011

Nick O'Toole: The Collector General

Nick O'Toole has spent over 50 years collecting rare items of racing memorabilia

Mark Costello

1 January 2011

Nick O'Toole has built up an impressive collection of racing memorabilia

Lester Piggott and Nick worked together on an exhibition

Nick O'Toole receives one of Sea The Stars' racing plates framed from John Oxx

A selection of items from Nick's Lester Piggott collection

Arkle memorabilia on the top shelf. Red Rum, Desert Orchid and Monksfield items are below

A racecard from the 1962 Irish Derby. won by Tambourine. This was the first year the race was sponsored by the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake

A selection of rare racecards, including one from the opening meeting at Leopardstown in 1888

This is the racecard annotated and used by Sir Peter O'Sullevan for the 1992 Irish Derby, won by St Jovite

The racecard for the 1984 Irish Champion Stakes at the Phoenix Park, won by Sadler's Wells

IN the region of 20,000 people will attend the upcoming Irish Champions Weekend fixtures and among them, perhaps, will be some first-time racegoers who will be bitten by the racing bug. They might keep the racecard as a souvenir, a reminder of where their passion for horseracing began.