Lester Piggott

Lester Piggott, one of the all-time great jockeys and winner of The Derby on nine occasions, has died at the age of 86.

1990: Return to race riding announced and Piggott finishes close second on first ride back. 1970: Wins 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger on Nijinsky, the first horse to win the Triple Crown for 35 years. The horse provides him with his first success at Haydock on August 18. 1985: Retirement is announced at end of season. Rides 29th classic winner, Shadeed in the 2000 Guineas, but records only 34 victories, the last of which is on Full Choke at Nottingham, bringing career total to 4,349. He courted controversy off the racetrack with a complex personal life and famously being jailed for tax evasion.

Sir Ivor had won the 2000 Guineas brilliantly and started odds-on for the Derby, despite doubts about his stamina. But a furlong out he looked beaten. Sandy ...

But Piggott, asking for everything, was not to be denied and crossed the line with a neck to spare to register his 28th British Classic success, breaking the age-old record of Frank Buckle. The jockey had concentrated so much that he was not sure if he had won, and dismounted on the course instead of taking his mount into the winner’s enclosure. Nijinsky been laid low with a bout of ringworm after winning the King George at Ascot, and Piggott himself had suffered an injury scare when dumped on the Doncaster turf by Leander in the previous contest.

Racing has lost one of the biggest names in the sport's history following the death of Lester Piggott at the age of 86.

He later won the Irish Derby on Shergar and the 2,000 Guineas on Shadeed for us when Walter Swinburn was suspended." “He had an empathy for the animal and knew what a horse was thinking. I first knew him well in the 1970s when he was riding for Sir Noel Murless and Vincent O'Brien. They listened to and savoured everything he said which could be quite minimalistic. He was famous for changing work instructions to suit himself to find out more but that was typical Lester who was always a rule unto himself. “He was magical on top of a horse. Piggott was as well bred for the job as the choice horses he rode.

Tall for a jockey at over 5ft 7ins, 'The Long Fellow', as he became affectionately tagged, partnered more than 5,000 winners worldwide. A man of very few words ...

He sustained several broken bones and a collapsed lung, which forced him to miss the next three months. He was approaching his 59th birthday. Within a fortnight he had teamed up with his old ally O’Brien to ride Royal Academy at Belmont Park – and with all the familiar dash and drive intact, he brought the horse with a thrilling late run to snatch one of the world’s great prizes. Piggott had retired in a blaze of publicity in 1985 and took up training, sending out a winner at Royal Ascot. So it was almost unthinkable he should return to the saddle, particularly after his time in jail, but he did so in 1990 – on the verge of turning 55 and only days out of retirement. Within the racing world he was a colossus, and if his demeanour did little to encourage affection – he spoke little and was once described as having “a face like a well-kept grave” – his consummate skill in the saddle earned him total respect. His father Keith trained a Grand National winner, his grandfather Ernest rode to victory three times in the great steeplechase and his mother Iris was the daughter of Classic-winning jockey Fred Rickaby.

The legend died in Switzerland on Sunday morning, his son-in-law and Derby-winning trainer William Haggas has confirmed. “Sadly we can confirm that Lester ...

1970: Wins 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger on Nijinsky, the first horse to win the Triple Crown for 35 years. The impact he has made in racing, on all of us, is second to none. The horse provides him with his first success at Haydock on August 18. 1990: Return to race riding announced and Piggott finishes close second on first ride back. We had to up our game to compete with him, because he was so magical on top of a horse. “I came to his in-laws as an apprentice and he was part of my life right from the word go, until the end. To this very day, the top answer to ‘name a famous jockey’ remains Lester Piggott. He matched a fiercely competitive spirit with genius horsemanship and was revered by millions. 1985: Retirement is announced at end of season. Rides 29th classic winner, Shadeed in the 2000 Guineas, but records only 34 victories, the last of which is on Full Choke at Nottingham, bringing career total to 4,349. “We had the luck of some ding-dongs on the track and he was a person who made us all better – because we had to be better to beat him. He was an iconic figure in the horse racing world.

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, ...

Stoute added: “Lester could be very entertaining when he was in the mood – he had a great sense of humour. Lester rode him, he pulled up and the first words he said to me were ‘if you’d had him this right for the Derby I wouldn’t have come off the bridle.’ That was just Lester. He matched a fiercely competitive spirit with genius horsemanship and was revered by millions. He was super-sub and he was not a bad sub! To this very day, the top answer to ‘name a famous jockey’ remains Lester Piggott. He retired for a final time in 1995.

Piggott's son-in-law, Derby-winning trainer William Haggas, said: “Sadly we can confirm that Lester died peacefully in Switzerland this morning. I really don't ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. He retired for a final time in 1995.

Tall for a jockey at over 5ft 7ins, 'The Long Fellow', as he became affectionately tagged, partnered more than 5,000 winners worldwide. A man of very few words ...

He sustained several broken bones and a collapsed lung, which forced him to miss the next three months. He was approaching his 59th birthday. Within a fortnight he had teamed up with his old ally O’Brien to ride Royal Academy at Belmont Park – and with all the familiar dash and drive intact, he brought the horse with a thrilling late run to snatch one of the world’s great prizes. Piggott had retired in a blaze of publicity in 1985 and took up training, sending out a winner at Royal Ascot. So it was almost unthinkable he should return to the saddle, particularly after his time in jail, but he did so in 1990 – on the verge of turning 55 and only days out of retirement. Within the racing world he was a colossus, and if his demeanour did little to encourage affection – he spoke little and was once described as having “a face like a well-kept grave” – his consummate skill in the saddle earned him total respect. His father Keith trained a Grand National winner, his grandfather Ernest rode to victory three times in the great steeplechase and his mother Iris was the daughter of Classic-winning jockey Fred Rickaby.

Lester Piggott, who has died aged 86, was regarded by many as the finest jockey ever to ride on British turf. His record in major races is unlikely to be ...

While Piggott was in prison, the racing stable was managed by his wife, Susan (nee Armstrong), the daughter of a Newmarket trainer, whom he had married in 1960. He resumed riding at Leicester the following week, rode a winner at Chepstow the following day, and within 12 days had ridden one of his greatest races to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Belmont Park, New York, worth $500,000, on Royal Academy, trained by his old ally O’Brien. Piggott rode a brilliant race to win in a photo-finish, but opinions were divided over the morality of his engagement, and Williamson never forgave him. Piggott spent what he intended to be his final year as a jockey riding as a freelance, and brought down the curtain at Nottingham on 29 October 1985. His rapacity came to a head when he contrived to secure the mount on Roberto, trained by O’Brien, in 1972, on the grounds that O’Brien’s jockey, Bill Williamson, was unfit following a shoulder injury. He was increasingly in demand, notably by the Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien. A conflict arose between his desire to ride for O’Brien and others in big races, and his retainer to ride for Murless. As always, Piggott wanted the best of both worlds, but Murless would not countenance his demands to be “let off” when required. Piggott’s mount, Barnacle, was disqualified and, to his great indignation, he was suspended for the rest of the season. At the time, Piggott was accused of giving the filly too much ground to make up, but many years later Breasley claimed that he pinned Piggott to the rails to settle an old score. However, his career was dogged by controversy, leading to a jail sentence for tax fraud in 1987 and the withdrawal of his OBE. The following year, he finished second on Gay Time, and in 1954 won the first of his nine Derbys on Never Say Die. Already laconic and introspective, Piggott infuriated the press by commenting that it was “just another race”. Many, including Murless and Richards, felt that Piggott’s ride on Carrozza was the greatest of his career. Archer was nicknamed “ the Tinman” because of his love of money.

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 ...

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. Also successful in the 2000 Guineas, Nijinsky and Piggott went on to land the Triple Crown with his triumph in the St Leger. It was recently reported Piggott was in hospital in Switzerland and was said to be improving, with hopes to return back home next week.

Tall for a jockey at over 5ft 7ins, 'The Long Fellow', as he became affectionately tagged, partnered more than 5,000 winners worldwide. A man of very few words ...

He sustained several broken bones and a collapsed lung, which forced him to miss the next three months. He was approaching his 59th birthday. Within a fortnight he had teamed up with his old ally O’Brien to ride Royal Academy at Belmont Park – and with all the familiar dash and drive intact, he brought the horse with a thrilling late run to snatch one of the world’s great prizes. Piggott had retired in a blaze of publicity in 1985 and took up training, sending out a winner at Royal Ascot. So it was almost unthinkable he should return to the saddle, particularly after his time in jail, but he did so in 1990 – on the verge of turning 55 and only days out of retirement. Within the racing world he was a colossus, and if his demeanour did little to encourage affection – he spoke little and was once described as having “a face like a well-kept grave” – his consummate skill in the saddle earned him total respect. His father Keith trained a Grand National winner, his grandfather Ernest rode to victory three times in the great steeplechase and his mother Iris was the daughter of Classic-winning jockey Fred Rickaby.

LESTER Keith Piggott was born in the local hospital in Wantage, Berkshire on November 5, 1935, with a racing pedigree that extended back to the 18th ...

He rolled back the years with a dramatic victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park on O'Brien's Royal Academy, adopting a frenzied drive as if he had never been away. Nijinsky won the Irish Derby under Liam Ward, who rode him in all his races in Ireland (Piggott was second on Meadowville), and in the King George he needed to race for only a few strides. The Inland Revenue became involved, and only when secrecy was no longer viable did he admit to his hidden bank accounts. This meant a return to Warren Place, for Cecil was by now training at the stables formerly occupied by his father-in-law, Noel Murless. For a jockey whose priority was big-race success around the world, it was no longer worth chasing a title based on the number of wins in Britain. When Nijinsky lost his unbeaten record in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe it was the most controversial defeat of Piggott's career. His other winners for O'Brien that year included Boucher in the St Leger. He left Murless a year too soon but his decision was justified in the long term. Piggott had continued to ride sporadically over hurdles but scored the last of his 20 wins in that sphere in February 1959. Three months later, still aged only 18, he scored his first Classic victory, on 33-1 shot Never Say Die in the Derby as the third-choice jockey. He learned to lip-read and was comfortable in one-to-one conversations but his speech was always indistinct, especially with its nasal intonation. Nevertheless, in 1950 he gained the first of three consecutive apprentice championships.

He died peacefully in the early hours of Sunday morning in Switzerland, having been in hospital several days. His death comes six days before the Derby at Epsom ...

The Minstrel was nearer last than first in the early stages, but Piggott made his move to counter that of Willie Carson, who had sent Hot Grove on early in the straight. The going may have been heavy, but it was so easy for Piggott on what was his final Derby triumph. Described by Piggott as the best horse he ever rode, Sir Ivor had to produce a special performance to win the Derby. Sent on his way the 4-5 favourite to back up his victory in the 2000 Guineas, the Classic double looked doubtful two furlongs out, with Connaught sailing into a five-length lead. The result was never in any doubt as Nijinsky cruised past he French race Gyr to win by two and a half lengths. Empery was clear best in the race, as he romped home by three lengths from Relkino, with Wollow only fifth. Winning in a time just outside the course record set by Mahmoud in 1936, Crepello had a top-class horse in Ballymoss in second place, beaten a length and a half. After lying handy in the first six, Piggott took him to the outside in the straight and he stretched clear to score by two lengths from Arabian Night. Piggott’s second Derby success was much more expected, as his partner Crepello had won the 2000 Guineas and was sent off the 6-4 favourite. By the time he won his first Derby on Never Say Die, six years later, he was more than a foot taller and 8st 7lb. There were few more distinctive sights in sport than watching the upright Piggott cruise home on a thoroughbred when motionless. No horse had achieved the feat for 35 years, and none have achieved it since. His death comes six days before the Derby at Epsom, a race he will always be synonymous with.

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 ...

With a regular donation to our monthly Fighting Fund, we can continue to thumb our noses at the fat cats and tell truth to power. “He won the Irish Derby on Shergar (1981) and he won the 2000 Guineas on Shadeed (1985), as Walter [Swinburn] was suspended for both of those. The Morning Star is unique, as a lone socialist voice in a sea of corporate media. He rode his 4,000th winner through Sparkling Sin at Nottingham on July 26 1982. I really don’t wish to add much more than that at this stage, although Maureen will be making a statement later.” He retired for a final time in 1995.

Born into a racing family, the rider won unusually wide public acclaim.

LESTER Keith Piggott was born in the local hospital in Wantage, Berkshire on November 5, 1935, with a racing pedigree that extended back to the 18th ...

He rolled back the years with a dramatic victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park on O'Brien's Royal Academy, adopting a frenzied drive as if he had never been away. Nijinsky won the Irish Derby under Liam Ward, who rode him in all his races in Ireland (Piggott was second on Meadowville), and in the King George he needed to race for only a few strides. The Inland Revenue became involved, and only when secrecy was no longer viable did he admit to his hidden bank accounts. This meant a return to Warren Place, for Cecil was by now training at the stables formerly occupied by his father-in-law, Noel Murless. For a jockey whose priority was big-race success around the world, it was no longer worth chasing a title based on the number of wins in Britain. When Nijinsky lost his unbeaten record in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe it was the most controversial defeat of Piggott's career. His other winners for O'Brien that year included Boucher in the St Leger. He left Murless a year too soon but his decision was justified in the long term. Piggott had continued to ride sporadically over hurdles but scored the last of his 20 wins in that sphere in February 1959. Three months later, still aged only 18, he scored his first Classic victory, on 33-1 shot Never Say Die in the Derby as the third-choice jockey. He learned to lip-read and was comfortable in one-to-one conversations but his speech was always indistinct, especially with its nasal intonation. Nevertheless, in 1950 he gained the first of three consecutive apprentice championships.