THE TIMING could hardly be more fortuitous for the sale of Graham Knuttel's painting Best Bet Here. The colourful oil-on-canvas, featuring a pair of dodgy, shamrock-sporting bookmakers, will be sold in a week when thousands of Irish punters will flock to Cheltenham for the annual racing festival.

Commissioned by An Post in 2005 as a St Patrick’s Day greeting card, it was sold in aid of Chernobyl Children’s Project International. Although An Post commissioned the design, the State-owned company declined to purchase the original painting, which Knuttel then sold privately to the present owner.

Estimated at €3,000-€4,000, it is one of four works by the artist in Whyte's auction of Irish and British Arton Monday, March 14. And in keeping with the festive mood, the sale also features more traditional racing scenes including At The Races(€600-€800) by Gladys Maccabe and Horse and Jockey(€2,000-€3,000) by June Brilly, an American-born artist who lives in Co Kildare. Viewing at the RDS, Ballsbridge begins today.