Lester Piggott
Encyclopedia
Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 professional jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

 victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 jockeys of all time.

Family background and personal life

Lester Piggott was born in Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....

 to a family that could trace its roots as jockeys and trainers back to the 18th Century. The Piggotts were a Cheshire farming family who in the 1870s ran the Crown Inn in Nantwich for at least 40 years. Lester's grandfather Ernest (Ernie) Piggott
Ernest Piggott
Ernest Piggott was a leading British jump racing jockey, whose family has become one of the leading dynasties in British horseracing. He was three times Champion Jockey and three times Grand National winner...

 (1878–1941) owned a racehorse stable at The Old Manor in Letcombe Regis and his father (Ernest) Keith Piggott (1904–1993) another at South Bank in Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....

, where Lester lived until 1954. Ernie Piggott rode three Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 winners, in 1912, 1918 and 1919 and was married to a sister of the jockeys Mornington Cannon
Mornington Cannon
Herbert Mornington Cannon , commonly referred to as Morny Cannon, was a six-time leading jockey in the United Kingdom in the 1890s. He holds the records for the most wins by a jockey at the Craven Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes. His most famous mount was Flying Fox who won...

 and Kempton Cannon, who both rode winners of the Derby, in 1899 and 1904 respectively. He was also three-times British jump racing Champion Jockey
British jump racing Champion Jockey
In Great Britain's National Hunt racing, the title of Champion Jockey is bestowed on the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a racing season. From its inception in 1900 through to 1925, the award was given to the jockey who had ridden the most winners during a calendar year...

 (in 1910, 1913 and 1915). Keith Piggott was a successful National Hunt jockey and trainer, winning the Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 as a jockey in 1939 and the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 as a trainer in 1963 with Ayala, becoming the British jump racing Champion Trainer
British jump racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of National Hunt racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prizemoney during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each season since 1945-46.-----See also:...

 of the 1962–63 season. Lester Piggott is the cousin, through his mother Lilian Iris Rickaby, of two other jockeys, Bill and Fred Rickaby. Fred Rickaby was British flat racing Champion Apprentice
British flat racing Champion Apprentice
The Champion Apprentice of flat racing in Great Britain is the apprentice jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during the flat turf season...

 in 1931 and 1932.

Piggott is married to Susan Armstrong. Her father Sam Armstrong and Robert Armstrong were both racehorse trainers. They have two daughters, Maureen, an ex-eventer
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...

 (married to Derby-winning trainer William Haggas) and Tracy (a sports presenter on Irish television station RTÉ). He also has a son, Jamie, from a relationship with Anna Ludlow. His house is named after a famous racehorse from history—Florizel
Florizel
Florizel was a Thoroughbred racehorse.Florizel was a good sire, producing 175 winners who won a total of 75,901 pounds. Offspring included Eager , Tartar , Ninety-Three , Brilliant, Diomed , Ulysses, Moustrap, and Admiral...

.

Career as a jockey

Piggott began racing horses from his father's stable when he was 10 years old and won his first race in 1948, aged 12 years, on a horse called The Chase at Haydock Park
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...

. A teenage sensation, he rode his first winner of the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

 on Never Say Die
Never Say Die (horse)
Never Say Die was a Thoroughbred racehorse foaled at Jonabell Farm in the United States and trained in Great Britain who won the Epsom Derby in 1954....

 in 1954 aged 18 years and went on to win eight more, on Crepello
Crepello
Crepello was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse which won England's most prestigious race, the Epsom Derby and was later a Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland.-Pedigree:...

 (1957), St. Paddy
St. Paddy
St. Paddy was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Sir Victor Sassoon, he was out of the mare Edie Kelly and sired by Aureole, a winner of the Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His grandsire, Hyperion, and his damsire, Bois Roussel, both won the Epsom...

 (1960), Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor
Sir Ivor was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from a base in Ireland. Owned by American businessman and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Raymond R...

 (1968), Nijinsky
Nijinsky II
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.He was bred at E. P...

 (1970), Roberto
Roberto (horse)
Roberto was an American-bred Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in Ireland and England.-Background:Roberto was bred by Galbreath at his Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To, a...

 (1972), Empery
Empery
Empery was a British racehorse best known for winning the Epsom Derby. Bred and raced by Texas oilman, Nelson Bunker Hunt,...

 (1976), The Minstrel
The Minstrel
The Minstrel was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Great Britain and Ireland. His performances led to him becoming the Horse of the Year in the United Kingdom, Horse of the Year in Ireland and being inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.Foaled at E.P...

 (1977) and Teenoso
Teenoso
Teenoso was a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in England.Racing for Ralph "Budgie" Moller and his brother, Eric, Teenoso won the 1983 Epsom Derby by three lengths, ridden by Lester Piggott, his ninth and last Derby winner. The ground that day was heavy which is very unusual for that time of year...

 (1983). He was stable jockey to Noel Murless
Noel Murless
Sir Charles Francis Noel Murless began his career as a racehorse trainer in 1935 at Hambleton Lodge in Yorkshire before moving to Hambleton House after the war, at one time sharing premises with the equally legendary Ryan Price...

 and later to Vincent O'Brien
Vincent O'Brien
Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...

 and had a glittering career of unparalleled success. Known as the "housewives' favourite", Piggott had legions of followers and did much to expand the popularity of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 beyond its narrow, class-based origins.

Famously tall for a jockey (5 ft 8 in/1.73 m), hence his nickname of "The Long Fellow", Lester Piggott struggled to keep his weight down and for most of his career rode at little more than 8 stone (112 lb/51 kg). He pioneered a new style of race-riding that was subsequently widely adopted by colleagues at home and abroad and enabled him to become Champion Jockey
British flat racing Champion Jockey
The Champion Jockey of flat racing in Great Britain is the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a season. The list below shows the Champion Jockey and the number of winners for each year since 1840...

 eleven times. There can be little doubt that had he not chosen after the 1971 season to ride more selectively, he would have won more championships.

In 1980 his relationship with the Sangster
Robert Sangster
Robert Edmund Sangster was a British businessman, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes and a Melbourne...

O'Brien
Vincent O'Brien
Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...

 combination came to an end and in a jockeys' merry-go-round he was appointed as stable jockey to Noel Murless's son-in-law Henry Cecil
Henry Cecil
Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil is a successful English horse racing trainer who has had many winners in the Epsom Derby, 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes....

, the British flat racing Champion Trainer
British flat racing Champion Trainer
The Champion Trainer of flat racing in Great Britain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the Champion Trainer for each year since 1896.-----See also:* British flat racing Champion Jockey...

, at Murless's old stables, Warren Place. He was again champion jockey in 1981 and 1982. However, as the result of a dispute in late 1983 as to whether he had reneged on an agreement to ride Daniel Wildenstein
Daniel Wildenstein
Daniel Leopold Wildenstein was a French art dealer and scholar, as well as a leading thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder....

's All Along
All Along
All Along was a champion Thoroughbred racemare that was foaled in France. She was one of the top fillies of the last part of the 20th century, racing mostly in Europe.-Background:...

 the ride went to young Walter Swinburn
Walter Swinburn
Walter R. Swinburn is a retired flat racing jockey who competed in Great Britain and Ireland as well as internationally.Swinburn was born in Oxford...

 in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...

, Wildenstein refused to allow him to ride any more of his horses. It was costly for Piggott, as All Along won the Arc and a string of other international races in an autumn campaign that ended with her being named US Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....

. Further, as Wildenstein was one of Cecil's principal owners, this placed a strain on the relationship, and in 1984 Cecil and Piggott split, with Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...

 taking over at Warren Place.

Like many other jockeys and trainers Lester lives near the Home of Racing at Newmarket in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

.

Later career and conviction for tax evasion

After he retired from riding horses at the end of the 1985 flat season, Piggott became a racehorse trainer. At its peak, his Eve Lodge stables had housed 97 residents and sent out 34 winners. In 1987 he was jailed for three years, of which he served 366 days for tax fraud. The following year he was stripped of his OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (which he had been awarded in 1975) because of tax evasion. He resumed his career as a jockey in 1990 following his release from jail, winning the Breeders' Cup Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...

 on Royal Academy
Royal Academy (horse)
Royal Academy is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse bred in the United States best known as the winner of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile in which famed British jockey Lester Piggott came out of retirement to ride the colt to victory....

 within ten days of his return, and riding another Classic winner, Rodrigo de Triano, in the 1992 2000 Guineas. He rode his last winner in October 1994 and officially retired, this time for good, in 1995.

Illness

On Tuesday 15 May 2007 he was admitted to intensive care in a Swiss hospital following a recurrence of a previous heart problem. His wife stated that this illness is not life-threatening and that he was recovering in intensive care as a precaution.http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1265949,00.html He attended Royal Ascot in June 2007 and the Epsom Derby in June 2008 where he tipped the winner, New Approach, during a BBC television interview. He was also present for Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2009, where he was interviewed in the parade ring.

Recognition

The annual jockey awards The Lesters
Lester Award
A Lester Award is one of a range of awards given to jockeys at an annual ceremony in Great Britain. The awards are named in honour of Lester Piggott, an eleven-time British flat racing Champion Jockey who won thirty British Classic Races from 1954 to 1992...

, inaugurated in 1990, are named in his honour.

Major wins

  Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

  • 1,000 Guineas - (2) - Humble Duty (1970), Fairy Footsteps (1981)
  • 2,000 Guineas - (5) - Crepello (1957), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Shadeed (1985), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)
  • Ascot Gold Cup
    Ascot Gold Cup
    The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

     - (11) - Zarathustra (1957), Gladness (1958), Pandofell (1961), Twilight Alley (1963), Fighting Charlie (1965), Sagaro (1975, 1976 & 1977), Le Moss (1979), Ardross (1981 & 1982)
  • Champion Stakes
    Champion Stakes
    The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...

     - (5) - Petite Etoile
    Petite Etoile
    Petite Etoile was a filly of the highest quality, but her success would hardly have been anticipated by those who saw her in her first race as a two-year-old when she was beaten by eight lengths in a two-horse race...

     (1959), Pieces of Eight (1966), Sir Ivor (1968), Giacometti (1974), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)
  • Cheveley Park Stakes
    Cheveley Park Stakes
    The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was...

     - (4) - Fleet (1966), Lalibela (1967), Durtal (1976), Marwell (1980)
  • Cork and Orrery Stakes (Golden Jubilee Stakes)
    Golden Jubilee Stakes
    The Golden Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...

    - (9) - Right Boy (1958 & 1959), Tin Whistle (1960), El Gallo (1963), Mountain Call (1968), Welsh Saint (1970), Saritamer (1974), Thatching (1979), College Chapel (1993)
  • Coronation Cup
    Coronation Cup
    The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

     - (9) - Zucchero (1953), Nagami (1959), Petite Etoile (1960 & 1961), Park Top (1969), Roberto (1973), Quiet Fling (1976), Sea Chimes (1980), Be My Native (1983)
  • Coronation Stakes
    Coronation Stakes
    The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...

     - (5) - Aiming High (1961), Calve (1972), Lisadell (1974), Roussalka (1975), Chalon (1982)
  • Derby
    Epsom Derby
    The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

     - (9) - Never Say Die (1954), Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), Empery (1976), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1983)
  • Dewhurst Stakes
    Dewhurst Stakes
    The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...

     - (10) - Crepello (1956), Follow Suit (1962), Ribofilio (1968), Nijinsky (1969), Crowned Prince (1971), Cellini (1973), The Minstrel (1976), Try My Best (1977), Monteverdi (1979), Diesis (1982)
  • Eclipse Stakes
    Eclipse Stakes
    The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...

     - (7) - Mystery IX (1951), Darius (1955), Arctic Explorer (1957), St Paddy (1961), Pieces of Eight (1966), Wolver Hollow (1969), Artaius (1977)
  • Falmouth Stakes
    Falmouth Stakes
    The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:The event is named in honour of...

     - (7) - Sylphide (1957), Green Opal (1960), Chrona (1966), Vital Match (1969), Chalon (1982), Niche (1993), Lemon Souffle (1994)
  • Fillies' Mile
    Fillies' Mile
    The Fillies' Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September....

     - (4) - Escorial (1973), Miss Pinkie (1976), Cherry Hinton (1977), Oh So Sharp (1984)
  • Haydock Sprint Cup
    Haydock Sprint Cup
    The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....

     - (3) - Green God (1971), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1980)
  • International Stakes
    International Stakes
    The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

     - (5) - Dahlia (1974 & 1975), Hawaiian Sound (1978), Commanche Run (1985), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)
  • July Cup
    July Cup
    The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....

     - (10) - Vigo (1957), Right Boy (1958 & 1959), Tin Whistle (1960), Thatch (1973), Saritamer (1974), Solinus (1978), Thatching (1979), Moorestyle (1980), Mr Brooks (1992)
  • King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - (7) - Meadow Court (1965), Aunt Edith (1966), Park Top (1969), Nijinsky (1970), Dahlia (1974), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1984)
  • King's Stand Stakes
    King's Stand Stakes
    The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...

     - (7) - Right Boy (1957), Majority Rule (1963), Swing Easy (1971), Abergwaun (1973), Godswalk (1977), Solinus (1978), Never So Bold (1985)
  • Lockinge Stakes
    Lockinge Stakes
    The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...

     - (6) - Sovereign Path (1960), The Creditor (1964), Sparkler (1973), Belmont Bay (1981), Polar Falcon (1991), Swing Low (1993)
  • Middle Park Stakes
    Middle Park Stakes
    The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was established...

     - (6) - Petingo (1967), Steel Heart (1974), Junius (1978), Mattaboy (1980), Cajun (1981), Diesis (1982)
  • Nassau Stakes
    Nassau Stakes
    The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 192 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:The title of...

     - (5) - Aunt Edith (1965), Haymaking (1966), Cheveley Princess (1973), Roussalka (1975 & 1976)
  • Nunthorpe Stakes
    Nunthorpe Stakes
    The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

     - (7) - Right Boy (1958 & 1959), Matatina (1963), Caterina (1966), Tower Walk (1969), Swing Easy (1971), Solinus (1978)
  • Oaks
    Epsom Oaks
    The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....

     - (6) - Carozza (1957), Petite Etoile (1959), Valoris (1966), Juliette Marny (1975), Blue Wind (1981), Circus Plume (1984)
  • Prince of Wales's Stakes
    Prince of Wales's Stakes
    The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

     - (3) - Gift Card (1973), Anne's Pretender (1976), Crimson Beau (1979)
  • Queen Anne Stakes
    Queen Anne Stakes
    The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

     - (5) - Sparkler (1972), Baptism (1979), Belmont Bay (1981), Mr Fluorocarbon (1982), Trojan Fen (1984)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
    Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
    The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is now scheduled to take place each year in October. As of 2011, it is run on Champions Day as the final race...

     - (4) - The Creditor (1963), Linacre (1964), Hill Rise (1966), To-Agori-Mou (1981)
  • Racing Post Trophy
    Racing Post Trophy
    The Racing Post Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October....

     - (5) - Ribocco (1966), Noble Decree (1972), Apalachee (1973), Dunbeath (1982), Lanfranco (1984)
  • St. James's Palace Stakes
    St. James's Palace Stakes
    The St. James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

     - (5) - Roan Rocket (1964), Petingo (1968), Thatch (1973), Jaazeiro (1978), Bairn (1985)
  • St. Leger
    St. Leger Stakes
    The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...

     - (8) - St Paddy (1960), Aurelius (1961), Ribocco (1967), Ribero (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Athens Wood
    Athens Wood
    Athens Wood was a Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning a British Classic, the St. Leger Stakes. He was bred by Kilcarn Stud near Navan in County Meath, Ireland. His sire was Celtic Ash, a British-born colt who raced in the United States where in 1960 he won an American Classic, the...

     (1971), Boucher (1972), Commanche Run (1984)
  • Sun Chariot Stakes
    Sun Chariot Stakes
    The Sun Chariot Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The...

     - (6) - Popkins (1970), Cheveley Princess (1973), Swiss Maid (1978), Topsy (1979), Snow (1980), Home on the Range (1981)
  • Sussex Stakes
    Sussex Stakes
    The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:...

     - (6) - Petite Etoile (1959), Roan Rocket (1964), Petingo (1968), Thatch (1973), Artaius (1977), Jaazeiro (1978)
  • Yorkshire Oaks
    Yorkshire Oaks
    The Yorkshire Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

     - (4) - Petite Etoile (1959), Parthian Glance (1966), Shoot A Line (1980), Awaasif (1982)


  • Canadian International Stakes
    Canadian International Stakes
    The Canadian International Stakes is a $2 million Grade I Canadian stakes race on Turf for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario....

     - (1) - Dahlia (1974)


  • Grand Critérium (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère)
    Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
    The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...

     - (3) - Sir Ivor (1967), Breton (1969), My Swallow (1970)
  • Grand Prix de Paris
    Grand Prix de Paris
    The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...

     - (2) - Roll of Honour (1970), Sagaro (1974)
  • Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
    Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
    The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...

     - (1) - Teenoso (1984)
  • Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
    Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
    The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, sometimes referred to as the French 1,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...

     - (2) - Rajput Princess (1964), River Lady (1982)
  • Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
    Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
    The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...

     - (4) - Tower Walk (1969), Balidar (1970), Moorestyle (1980), Mr Brooks (1992)
  • Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
    Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
    The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...

     - (3) - Rheingold (1973), Alleged (1977 & 1978)
  • Prix de Diane
    Prix de Diane
    The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...

     - (3) - Mrs Penny (1980), Madam Gay (1981), Lypharita (1985)
  • Prix de la Forêt
    Prix de la Forêt
    The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...

     - (2) - Moorestyle (1980 & 1981)
  • Prix Ganay
    Prix Ganay
    The Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May....

     - (1) - Trillion (1978)
  • Prix Jacques Le Marois
    Prix Jacques le Marois
    The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....

     - (1) - Nonoalco (1974)
  • Prix Jean Prat
    Prix Jean Prat
    The Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:...

     - (3) - Speedy Dakota (1975), Dom Racine (1978), Night Alert (1980)
  • Prix du Jockey Club
    Prix du Jockey Club
    The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

     - (1) - Hard to Beat (1972)
  • Prix Lupin
    Prix Lupin
    The Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in May....

     - (2) - Hard to Beat (1972), Persépolis (1982)
  • Prix Marcel Boussac
    Prix Marcel Boussac
    The Prix Marcel Boussac is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October....

     - (3) - Vela (1969), Play It Safe (1981), Midway Lady (1985)
  • Prix Maurice de Gheest
    Prix Maurice de Gheest
    The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...

     - (4) - Mountain Call (1968), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1981), College Chapel (1993)
  • Prix Morny
    Prix Morny
    The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...

     - (2) - My Swallow (1970), Nonoalco (1973)
  • Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
    Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
    The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older...

     - (3) - Habitat (1969), Gold Rod (1970), Sparkler (1973)
  • Prix Royal-Oak
    Prix Royal-Oak
    The Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October.-History:The event was established in 1861, and it was initially...

     - (1) - Ardross (1981)
  • Prix Saint-Alary
    Prix Saint-Alary
    The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....

     - (1) - Nobiliary (1975)
  • Prix de la Salamandre
    Prix de la Salamandre
    The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1872, and it was...

     - (2) - My Swallow (1970), Nonoalco (1973)
  • Prix Vermeille
    Prix Vermeille
    The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1897, and it...

     - (1) - Aunt Edith (1965)


  Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

  • Deutsches Derby
    Deutsches Derby
    The Deutsches Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Hamburg-Horn over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....

     - (3) - Orsini (1957), Fanfar (1963), Luciano (1967)
  • Preis der Diana
    Preis der Diana
    The Preis der Diana, sometimes referred to as the German Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Düsseldorf over a distance of 2,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early August.The event was...

     - (1) - On Dit (1967)


  Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

  • Irish 1,000 Guineas - (2) - Favoletta (1971), Godetia (1979)
  • Irish 2,000 Guineas - (3) - Decies (1970), Jaazeiro (1978), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)
  • Irish Champion Stakes
    Irish Champion Stakes
    The Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1976, and...

     - (1) - Commanche Run (1985)
  • Irish Derby - (5) - Meadow Court (1965), Ribocco (1967), Ribero (1968), The Minstrel (1977), Shergar (1981)
  • Irish Oaks
    Irish Oaks
    The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....

     - (3) - Santa Tina (1970), Juliette Marny (1975), Godetia (1979)
  • Irish St. Leger - (3) - Dan Kano (1967), Caucasus (1975), Meneval (1976)
  • Moyglare Stud Stakes
    Moyglare Stud Stakes
    The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late August or early September.The event is named after its long-term sponsor,...

     - (1) - Lemon Souffle (1993)
  • National Stakes
    National Stakes
    The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....

     - (4) - Cellini (1973), Sir Wimborne (1975), El Prado (1991), Fatherland (1992)
  • Tattersalls Gold Cup
    Tattersalls Gold Cup
    The Tattersalls Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....

     - (2) - Cavo Doro (1973), Elegant Air (1985)


  Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

  • Singapore Derby
    Singapore Derby
    The Singapore Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid July at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore. Contested on turf over a left-handed course, the domestic Group One race is run over a distance 2000 meters and is open to four-year-old horses only.Inaugurated in 1880 at the Serangoon...

     - (1) - Saas Fee (1979)


  Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

  • Slovak Derby - (1) - Zimzalabim (1993)


  • Breeders' Cup Mile
    Breeders' Cup Mile
    The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...

     - (1) - Royal Academy (1990)
  • Washington, D.C. International - (3) - Sir Ivor (1968), Karabas (1969), Argument (1980)

In popular culture

The British music band James
James (band)
James are a British rock band from Manchester, England. They formed in 1982 and were active throughout the 1980s, but most successful during the 1990s. Their hit singles include "Come Home", "Sit Down", and "She's a Star" as well as their American College Radio hit "Laid"...

 recorded a song named "Sometimes (Lester Piggott)" on their album Laid
Laid
Laid is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band James. It was released on October 5, 1993. It was the first of several collaborations between the group and Brian Eno, who produced all but one of the album's tracks – in Stuart Maconie's authorised biography of the group, Folklore,...

. It has a beat which is like a horse galloping. The outro on the original 12" of Sit Down
Sit Down
"Sit Down" is one of the most famous songs by James, released in 1989 by Rough Trade Records. In its seven-minute original form, the song only reached number 77 in the UK Singles Chart...

 also featured a falsetto voice singing the jockey's name.

The Hope and Anchor pub in Margate, Kent has been restyled with a horse racing theme and renamed Lester's after the famous jockey.

The Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...

 song "In the Days Before Rock 'n Roll" also mentions Piggott by name: "When we let, then we bet / On Lester Piggott when we met [ten to one] / And we let the goldfish go"

In 1992, the Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....

 agreed, under pressure, to pay taxes. The satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...

 showed a picture of her talking on a telephone, asking for Lester Piggott.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK