The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sport pays tribute to legendary jockey Piggott
Lester Piggott, whose Classic haul included nine Derby victories, has died at the age of 86. Unquestionably one of the greatest jockeys of all time, Piggott rode his first winner, The Chase, at Haydock in 1948 when just 12 years of age and his last win came with Palacegate Jack at the same Merseyside track in 1994, a few weeks short of his 59th birthday.
He retired for a final time in 1995.
Piggott’s son-in-law, Derby-winning trainer William Haggas, who is married to Piggott’s daughter, Maureen, told the PA news agency: “Sadly we can confirm that Lester died peacefully in Switzerland this morning.
“I really don’t wish to add much more than that at this stage, although Maureen will be making a statement later.”
Crowned champion jockey 11 times, Piggott first won the Derby in 1954 aboard Never Say Die.
Eight more wins followed – including Nijinsky in 1970 – with his last Epsom hero being Teenoso in 1983.
Also successful in the 2000 Guineas, Nijinsky and Piggott went on to land the Triple Crown with his triumph in the St Leger.
A brief training career saw Piggott saddle Cutting Blade to win the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in 1986, a meeting at which he rode a record 116 winners – with 10 of those coming in the Gold Cup.
Born in Wantage, Berkshire, on November 5 1935, Piggott had his best season numerically in 1966 with 191 winners. He rode
his 4,000th winner through Sparkling Sin at Nottingham in 1982.
As well as the Derby nine times, Piggott also landed the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket five times, together with the 1000 Guineas twice.
In all he rode 30 British Classic winners – the last being Rodrigo De Triano in the 2000 Guineas for Peter Chapple-Hyam in 1992.
Piggott was nicknamed ‘The Long Fellow’ and was relatively tall for a Flat jockey at 5ft 8in and fought hard to ride at 30lb below his natural bodyweight.
Sir Michael Stoute was quick to pay tribute to Piggott, and says he will forever be grateful to Piggott for helping get his training career off the ground.
Piggott rode both an English and Irish Classic winner for the Newmarket trainer, who saddles the likely favourite Desert Crown in Saturday’s Cazoo Derby at Epsom.
“Lester was a genius on a racehorse. I don’t think there has been anyone better,” said Stoute.
Piggott’s 4,493 winners – more than 5,000 worldwide – is the third highest tally in British racing history behind only Sir Gordon Richards and Pat Eddery.
Chapple-Hyam told Racing TV: “It was just unbelievable for a young man like myself to have Lester Piggott riding for you. He was my hero, he was everyone’s hero.”
Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, said: “Lester was a true titan of sport, a one-off who transcended horse racing.”