70 Years of Lester

Lester

A s k t h e m a n i n t h e s t r e e t t o n a m e a j o c k e y , t h e r e i s a f a i r c h a n c e t h e i r r e s p o n s e w i l l b e “ F r a n k i e ” . B u t f o r t h o s e o f a c e r t a i n a g e i t w i l l a l w a y s b e “ L e s t e r ” .

Remarkably, this year sees the 70th anniversary of Lester Piggott’s first Derby ride in 1951. That year was the first time since before World War II that The Derby was run on its then-traditional Wednesday slot, with the ongoing Festival of Britain leading to a new mood of national optimism. However, it was certainly an inauspicious start for the 15-year-old Piggott, as his 1951 mount Zucchero was left at the start - this was in the time of the old starting gate, as starting stalls were not utilised in The Derby until 1967. A talented if undoubtedly quirky performer,

Zucchero handed the young Piggott some compensation two years later in 1953 when providing him with the first of his record nine Coronation Cup victories at Epsom Downs. For Lester, the rest, of course, is history. He would go on to taste Derby success as an 18-year-old on Never Say Die in 1954 and go on to win the premier Classic eight more times with Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), Empery (1976), The Minstrel (1977) and Teenoso (1983) adding to Never Say Die’s success. His nine Derby victories remain a record to this day and, as remarkable as Piggott’s success in the race was and still is, his sheer longevity is also unsurpassed. While the first of Piggott’s record 36 Derby rides was on Zucchero in 1951, his final appearance in the world’s greatest Flat race was when aged 58 in 1994 - the last Derby to be staged on a Wednesday). That day he partnered 33-1 chance Khamaseen to a fifth place finish. When Piggott’s career in the saddle began, Sir Gordon Richards and Charlie Smirke were his contemporaries. When it ended he was pitched against Steve Cauthen and Frankie Dettori. From the days of black and white television and Prince Monolulu holding court on the racecourse with his retort of “I gotttta horse….” to the verge of today’s online information overload, “The Piggott Years” spanned a remarkable amount of time and change, whatever way you look at it. When he finally hung up his riding boots, the jockey was commemorated at Epsom Downs with the Lester Piggott Gates, which were officially unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen 25 years ago, on Derby Day in 1996. Later that afternoon, Shaamit landed the big race and was, appropriately, trained by Piggott’s son-in-law William Haggas.

Nijinsky