Lester Piggott

When I was 6, my Mum put 5 bob in my name on “Never Say Die” in the 1954 Epsom Derby.
Only time in my life I have ever backed a winner!

Meant to say- ridden by Lester Piggott of course.

I’ll never forget being at a friends house in Birmingham watching the Breeders Cup in America when Lester Piggott, just out of retirement won on Royal Academy.

My grandmother always had a flutter on a horse ridden by Lester in the Derby, so as a child I thought he was really old!

He always looked really old. ?

I don’t know how he kept his weight down, being such a tall man. Especially before jockeys had advice on healthy eating and weight maintenance.

I was part of the racing world, as a groom in a racing yard that broke in youngsters getting them fit and ready for training, best job in the world but one day my boss of thirty years gave me a retired racehorse who, for physical reasons, didn't make the grade. He ended up as a great hack and companion for ten years.
He used to be in training with Henry Cecil so I'm pretty sure Lester rode him.
On the day Lester retired, the picture all over the place was him on a horse called Commanche Run, on whom he won the St Leger. I thought at the time how much he looked familiar only to find out he was a half brother to my horse.
A brilliant jockey. We live just a couple of miles from Epsom racecourse so I'm guessing there will be lots of tributes there, especially as Derby week.

I'm sorry for his family that he has died and am sure that he deserves every one of the plaudits he will receive for his professional achievements. However, he was not an admirable or even nice man. I worked for the Inland Revenue Solicitor's office in the late 70s early 80s and know that he was a criminal. His calculated tax evasion over many years culminated in a well deserved prison sentence.

My grandmother's maiden name was Lester and her mother's maiden name was Piggott. So, whenever Lester was in the saddle, grandma had a flutter.

Should we be eulogising a criminal? ?

MayBee70
Lester Piggott was 5’8’’

I went to Ladies Day at Ascot with my friend once. She told me her husband said to back Lester Piggott in every race and we'd be quids in. We did and he lost every race.

I guess that in this country we want our sporting heroes to be nice people. But the will to win often comes with a ruthless streak. I didn’t really follow flat racing when he was at his peak but he was supreme at what he did: he was peerless. Unlike other racing fans I never felt that he should get his MBE ( or whatever it was ) back. As with Ken Dodd I don’t understand the obsession with hoarding money but I would imagine that it stems from something in one’s past, an insecurity of some kind. Which doesn’t make it forgivable.

I think there’s a difference between simply being a not nice person and being someone who breaks the law.

I did say what he did wasn’t forgivable.