Lester Piggott

Lester Piggott, an 11-time English champion jockey and one of the greatest horsemen in racing history, has died at age 86, the Telegraph reported.

Lester Piggott, whose Classic haul included nine Derby victories, has died at the age of 86, his son-in-law William Haggas has announced.

He retired for a final time in 1995. Also successful in the 2000 Guineas, Nijinsky and Piggott went on to land the Triple Crown with his triumph in the St Leger. 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.

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.

During a career lasting almost 50 years Piggott rode 4493 winners, the first coming at the age of 12 at Haydock Park in 1948.

The impact he has made in racing, on all of us, is second to none. He was an iconic figure in the horse racing world. "I came to his in-laws as an apprentice and he was part of my life right from the word go until the end.

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.

Lester Piggott, a jockey whose career haul included nine Derby victories, has died at the age of 86. Unquestionably one of the greatest jockeys of all time, ...

He sustained several broken bones and a collapsed lung, which forced him to miss the next three months. He was approaching his 59th birthday. He rode his 4,000th winner through Sparkling Sin at Nottingham on July 26 1982. 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. He retired for a final time in 1995. 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. 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. Remarkably, he returned from an aborted retirement to achieve one of his greatest feats at the age of 54 when he scored on Royal Academy in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. In the intervening years, there was the small matter of 30 victories in the English Classics, including nine in the Derby, and 116 winners at Royal Ascot. He was crowned champion jockey 11 times. 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. 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 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.

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.

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.

Legendary jockey Lester Piggott has died aged 86, his son-in-law has said. Piggott, who won the Derby nine times, had been in hospital in Switzerland.

The impact he has made in racing, on all of us, is second to none. He was an iconic figure in the horse racing world. "I came to his in-laws as an apprentice and he was part of my life right from the word go until the end.

Willie Carson and Frankie Dettori have led the tributes to Lester Piggott, who died in Switzerland on Sunday morning at the age of 86.

The impact he has made in racing, on all of us, is second to none. He will never be forgotten." Carson added: "He was confident. "I came to his in-laws as an apprentice and he was part of my life right from the word go, until the end. We had to up our game to compete with him, because he was so magical on top of a horse." "That man, for some reason, never showed any pressure.

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.

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