ONE of the more unusual lots at the magnificent Country House Collections sale by James Adam is a painting of a famous horse complete with its skull. Valentine and Splendour are two historically important racehorses and each one is depicted in a pair of sporting paintings attributed to William Brocas. Valentine is best known for his performance at the 1840 Grand National in which he came third. A fence at Aintree is named after Valentine to this day. The horses’ skull is included in the lot which has come down through the Power family of Gurteen and Curraghchase.
More than 720 lots will come under the hammer at the James Adam sale at Townley Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth on October 15.
