THE LIVING LEDGEND

LESTER PIGGOTT.
The name is synonymous with horse racing you say the name and people to this very day will identify the MAESTRO as being the epitome of flat racing in the UNITED KINGDOM,& IRELAND, in the U.S.A. and also in EUROPE and as far away as AUSTRALASIA..

It gives me great pleasure to have to write a tribute to my favourite jockey, I have the greatest admiration for the man, and I know in places that I write, this tribute, no doubt my eyes will fill with an emotional tear, and I am glad to say that I lived in the era of this complete jockey, with ALL the skills, and attributes, and the horsemanship in the world, to ride a horse to its full potential, There are not many people in history and especially horse racing who are automatically recognised by their Christian name alone, “LESTER” if I was going to write a full tribute it would take up a lot more room than can be allocated so I really do hope that you like this condensed version.

A record, second to none, a winner of thirty classic races (NINE DERBY’S and SIX OAKS all at EPSOM) the last classic in 1992 on Rodrigo de Triano in the 2000 GNS at Headquarters (NEWMARKET) another favoured course of his.

The DERBY wins were.

NEVER SAY DIE 1954
CREPELLO 1957
ST PADDY 1960
SIR IVOR 1968
NIJINSKY 1970
ROBERTO 1972
EMPERY 1976
THE MINISTREL 1977
TEENOSO1983

Vincent O'Brien, the master of Ballydoyle. Had trained six Derby winners in a period of 20 years (larkspur, Sir Ivor, Nijinsky, Roberto, The Minstrel and Golden Fleece) and two Oaks winners (Long Look and Valoris). Champion National Hunt trainer and leading trainer of flat in England, O'Brien also trained Alleged, Caerleon, Royal Academy, Ballymoss, Gladness, El Grand Senor, Storm Bird, Thatch and Glad Rags. His association with Lester Piggott, Robert Sangster and John Magnier simply changed the face of the Thoroughbred Market in the 70's. A large percentage of these horses were ALL ridden by LESTER PIGGOTT.

Lester Piggott was arguably the most famous English jockey of all time. He rode his first winner at age 12 in 1948, was a champion jockey in England 11 times and won the nation's most prestigious flat race, the Derby, a record nine times between 1954 and 1983. He retired in 1995, aged 59, he still to this very day rides in invitation races and appeared and finished second only last week in a race in Australia over 4 furlongs. Aged now 66.

Ever since Piggott won his first Derby in 1954, at the age of 18, on Never Say Die, he's had a special place in the public's affection. Even when he went to jail for a year for tax fraud, that affection did not diminish.

This popularity stemmed from his sheer professionalism. If you backed a Lester Piggott horse to win a race, you just knew that your money was in safe hands. If it couldn't win under Lester Piggott it would surely have failed in the hands of a lesser jockey.

Known as Old Stone face because he rarely showed emotion, and uncommunicative largely because of a speech impediment, and partial deafness, he was jailed in 1985 for a year for failing to accurately declare tax on about £3 million in earnings, and was estimated to have a personal fortune in excess of £20 million.

The scandal meant that the honour bestowed on him by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, the Order of the British Empire (OBE), was to be taken away.

Without the jail sentence and tax fraud investigation, he almost certainly would have become Sir Lester Piggott.

Epsom was his favoured playground; nine Derby winners and six in the Oaks are eloquent testimony to that. And, in the1968 Derby, Piggott produced what many say was the greatest piece of race riding ever when winning with Sir Ivor. It had already won the 2,000 Guineas but there were serious doubts about its ability to stay the extra half-mile. Piggott knew he had to conserve its stamina. But with three furlongs to go and Connaught, ridden by Sandy Barclay, well clear, Sir Ivor and Lester had still not moved and were in about in sixth place.

All the experts in the grandstand thought Piggott had made a mistake or worse. He moved Sir Ivor up a little, but the punters were now getting worried.

Then with about 150 yards to go, Piggott eased the horse to the outside and let it go. Sir Ivor cruised past Connaught and Piggott looked across at Barclay as if to say: "That's the way to do it pal ".

5,300 winners in the UK & abroad
9 Derby’s
3 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes.
11 Championships. 1960, 1964-71, 1981 & 1982. 25 centuries between 1955 & 1984.
Wins in 27 countries outside the UK.
465 Group race wins (would have been more if the Pattern had been introduced earlier)

30 English classic winners
10 French
16 Irish
3 Italian
3 Swedish
1 Australian
1 German
Makes a total of 64 in all

Lester also rode an awesome finish in the 1985 Irish Champion Stakes on Commanche Run which was logged in racings annuals, to be remembered for the future, some said it was on a par with the ride he gave Sir Ivor in the English Derby.

Lester made a remarkable come back after serving the one year of an imposed three year sentence, it was at Leicester, where Lester was to make his comeback, with huge crowds turning out to watch racings living legend, turn back the years, it was in the “Hare maiden fillies” race he got beat a short head but it was actually measured as being 1-1/4” or 3cm so the shortest of short heads on his first ride back.

Lester teamed up with his old boss again Vincent O’Brien on the 25th OCT; 1990 at Belmont Park in the “breeder’s cup mile” this underlined Lester’s amazing return to the big time just before his 55th birthday, he rode Royal Academy, he was slowly away and was able to settle the Irish horse nearer last than first, on the turn for home he moved Royal Academy to the outside, he then began one of those long relentless challenges that were a trade mark of the maestro, and the echo’s of “come on Lester” were resounding from both the press room, and the really large crowds, some who witnessed this incredible performance said it was has emotional as when Sir Gordon Richards won his only Derby.
Lester Piggott then went on to beat the record of Sir Gordon Richards of 5300 winners he also road his first DERBY winner in 1954 at the tender age of 18, by the most aptly named names of all time,!! NEVER SAY DIE !!, and this was fairly ominous and significant, has he seemed to adopt the said philosophy to the rest of his racing life, and in all of his races.

To give his all, was possibly the understatement of the century, by trying to win for the owner’s and trainers who trusted the maestro to ride their animals, and because of his dedication and enthusiasm he sometimes was deemed to have transgressed by the stewards of the day, and was stood down on several occasions because of this said enthusiasm, in hindsight he was penalised for trying.

He also went on to ride his thirtieth classic winner in 1992 on board Rodrigo de Triano this is an achievement that will stand the test of time, and last a very long time indeed, 30 CLASSIC WINNER’S.

He was further rewarded in 2000 by the now prestigious award of the Peter O’Sullevan’s annual award for LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO RACING. It was again further enhanced when in 2001 the award was to be awarded to Lesters provider of four of his Derby wins the Ballydoyle trainer M. V. O’BRIEN.

THE link between the two legends of post-war racing was renewed when Vincent O'Brien was named as winner of the fifth Sir Peter O'Sullevan Annual Award for lifetime contribution to horseracing.

Tradition dictates that the unique trophy, a bronze of a pair of binoculars, is handed over by the previous winner-in this case Lester Piggott, who shared in many of O'Brien's finest training achievements.

Peter O'Sullevan and Lester recently traveled to Australia where Lester rode in the charity race spoken of earlier, to present the award to O'Brien, who has not enjoyed the best of health and did not attend the ceremony in London on medical advice.

O'Brien's place at the fundraising lunch was taken by his son Charles, who said his father was honored by the award but revealed, tongue in cheek, that he was "mildly peeved that Lester got it first'' this just proves what the racing fraternity really thought about (Lester) THE LIVING LEDGEND.

O'Brien began his training career at Ballydoyle with hat-tricks in the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle, before beginning a glittering career on the Flat that included 13 European Derby’s and three wins apiece in the Arc and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Lester recalled: "We shared some great days-and if Vincent ever makes a comeback, I hope he doesn't forget me!" this was greeted with laughter and applause.

The only honour that I would have loved to have seen bestowed on THE LIVING LEDGEND would have been the KNIGHTHOOD which I mentioned earlier but owing to his transgression, it was not to be, so sad really, I actually sent off to the honors dept to try and get him nominated for a knighthood (no man or woman has done what he as done for the sport I love, namely horse racing ) but it fell on deaf ears owing to the transgression.

I AM GLAD TO SAY I HAD THE PLEASURE TO SEE IT ALL UNFOLD.
LESTER PIGGOTT.
1936 -------????

John A Rickards (Merlin the Magician) NOVEMBER 01 copyrighted