Editing Lester Piggott

{{Short description|British jockey (1935–2022)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality
| image       = Øvrevold. Lester Piggot - L0060 922Fo30141701170209 (cropped).jpg
| caption     = Piggott in 1955
| occupation  = {{hlist |[[Jockey]] |[[Horse trainer|trainer]]}}
| birth_place = [[Wantage]], Berkshire, England
| birth_date  = {{birth date|df=y|1935|11|5}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|df=y|2022|5|29|1935|11|5}}
| death_place = [[Geneva]], Switzerland
| height      = {{convert|1.71|m|ftin}}<ref name=guardian2005>Kenneth Harris, [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/nov/06/horseracing.theobserver 'A living legend']. ''The Guardian'', 6 November 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2024</ref>
| weight      = 8st 5lb<ref name=bbc1>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/61623271|title=Record-breaking jockey Piggott dies aged 86|work=BBC Sport }}</ref>
| spouse      = {{marriage|Susan Armstrong|1960|end=separated}}
| children    = 3, including [[Tracy Piggott|Tracy]]
| race        = 
'''[[British Classic Races|British Classic Race]] wins as jockey''' (30): {{ubl|[[2000 Guineas]] (5)|[[1000 Guineas]] (2)|[[Epsom Derby]] (9)|[[Epsom Oaks]] (6)|[[St Leger Stakes]] (8)<ref name = "Guinness">{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Tony|last2=Randall|first2=John| title=Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions|publisher=Guinness Publishing |year=1990|isbn=0-85112-902-1|edition=Third}}</ref>}}
| awards      = {{ubl|[[British flat racing Champion Jockey]] 11 times (1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1981, 1982) | British Champions Series Hall of Fame (2021)}}
| honours     = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (withdrawn)
| horses      = {{cslist| [[Never Say Die (horse)|Never Say Die]] | [[Crepello]] | [[Petite Etoile]] | [[St. Paddy]] | [[Sir Ivor]] | [[Nijinsky (horse)|Nijinsky]] | [[Roberto (horse)|Roberto]] | [[Empery]] | [[The Minstrel]] | [[Alleged (horse)|Alleged]] | [[Teenoso]] | [[Shadeed]] | [[Royal Academy (horse)|Royal Academy]] | [[Rodrigo de Triano]] }}
}}

'''Lester Keith Piggott''' (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional [[jockey]] and [[horse trainer]]. With 4,493 career [[flat racing]] wins in Britain, including a record nine [[Epsom Derby]] victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time and the originator of a much-imitated style. Popularly called "The Long Fellow", he was known for his competitive personality, restricting his weight and, on occasion, not sparing the whip, such as in the [[Epsom Derby#Leading jockey (9 wins)|1972 Derby]]. Piggott was convicted of [[Tax evasion#United Kingdom|tax fraud]] in 1987 and sentenced to three years in prison, but served just over a year.<ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/23/newsid_3755000/3755282.stm |title=1987: Lester Piggott jailed for three years |date=23 October 1987 |access-date=29 May 2022 }}</ref>

==Early life==
Piggott was born in [[Wantage]], Berkshire, to a family that could trace its roots as jockeys and trainers back to the 18th century.<ref name="PDavid">p45, David Boyd, A Bibliographical Dictionary of Racehorse Trainers in Berkshire 1850–1939 (1998)</ref> The Piggotts were a Cheshire farming family who from the 1870s ran the [[Crown Hotel, Nantwich|Crown Inn]] in [[Nantwich]] for over 30 years. Piggott's grandfather, [[Ernest Piggott]] (1878–1967), rode three [[Grand National]] winners, in 1912, 1918 and 1919,<ref name="independent.ie-20140311O'Riordan" /> and was married to a sister of the jockeys [[Mornington Cannon]] and [[Kempton Cannon]], who both rode winners of the Derby, in 1899 and 1904, respectively. He was also three-times [[British jump racing Champion Jockey]] (in 1910, 1913 and 1915), and owned a racehorse stable at the Old Manor in [[Letcombe Regis]] (now in [[Oxfordshire]]).<ref>{{cite book | last=Carter | first=J.|title=Warriors on Horseback: The Inside Story of the Professional Jockey | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-4729-2453-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rNy6CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |page= 132|access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref>

Lester Piggott's father, (Ernest) Keith Piggott (1904–1993), was a successful [[National Hunt]] jockey and trainer, winning the [[Champion Hurdle]] as a jockey in 1939<ref name="independent.ie-20140311O'Riordan" /> and the Grand National as a trainer in 1963 with [[Ayala (horse)|Ayala]], becoming the [[British jump racing Champion Trainer]] of the 1962–63 season.<ref name=Irish /> He owned a training stable at South Bank in [[Lambourn]], where Lester Piggott lived until 1954.<ref name="PDavid" /> Lester Piggott was a cousin, through his mother Lilian Iris Rickaby, jockeys Bill and Fred Rickaby. Fred was [[British flat racing Champion Apprentice]] in 1931 and 1932.<ref name="RacingPo">{{cite news |title=Fred Rickaby, champion apprentice and trainer, dies at 93. |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fred+Rickaby%2c+champion+apprentice+and+trainer%2c+dies+at+93.-a0217924929 |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=[[Racing Post]] |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Haydock Park Racecourse, Statue to Lester Piggott - geograph.org.uk - 606640.jpg|thumb|left|Statue to Piggott at [[Haydock Park Racecourse]], Merseyside, installed for his 70th birthday]]

Piggott began [[horse racing|racing horses]] from his father's stable when he was ten years old and won his first race in 1948, aged twelve, on a horse called The Chase, at [[Haydock Park Racecourse|Haydock Park]].<ref>"Schoolboy rides the first winner", ''[[Morning Star (British newspaper)|Daily Worker]]'', 19 August 1948</ref> Piggott was known for his quiet demeanour. He described his mother as wisely playing down his success, while his father rarely gave advice unless there had been a particular mistake. By his teens a sensation in the racing world, he rode his first winner of [[Epsom Derby|The Derby]] on [[Never Say Die (horse)|Never Say Die]] in 1954, aged eighteen, and went on to win eight more, on [[Crepello]] (1957), [[St. Paddy]] (1960), [[Sir Ivor]] (1968), [[Nijinsky II|Nijinsky]] (1970), [[Roberto (horse)|Roberto]] (1972), [[Empery]] (1976), [[The Minstrel]] (1977) and [[Teenoso]] (1983).<ref name=Men>{{cite news |last1=Damon Wilkinson |first1=Jason Heavey|title=Lester Piggott dead: Legendary jockey who won Derby nine times dies aged 86|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/lester-piggott-dead-legendary-jockey-24091293.amp |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=29 May 2022}}</ref> He was stable jockey to [[Noel Murless]] and later to [[Vincent O'Brien]] and had a glittering career of unparalleled success.<ref name=Irish /> Known as the "housewives' favourite", Piggott had legions of followers and did much to expand the popularity of horse racing beyond its narrow, class-based origins.<ref name=Irish>{{cite news |last1=Heavey |first1=Jason |title=Lester Piggott: From teenage sensation to prison, the remarkable life of a racing genius|url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/horse-racing/lester-piggott-obituary-racing-prison-27094062 |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=Irish Mirror |date=29 May 2022}}</ref>

Famously tall for a [[Horse racing|flat]] jockey ({{convert|5|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on|disp=x|/}}), hence his nickname of "The Long Fellow", Piggott struggled to keep his weight down and for most of his career rode at {{convert|8|st|5|lb|kg lb}}.<ref name=bbc1/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lester Piggott Q&A: a brilliant interview with the record-breaking champion &#124; Racing Post|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/lester-piggott/lester-piggott-qa-a-brilliant-interview-with-the-record-breaking-champion/430087|access-date=2022-06-02|website=racingpost.com}}</ref> He pioneered a new style of race-riding that was subsequently widely adopted by colleagues at home and abroad and enabled him to become [[British flat racing Champion Jockey|Champion Jockey]] eleven times. He also rode over hurdles early in his career.<ref name=leading>{{cite news |last1=Muscat |first1=Julian |title=Riding legend Lester Piggott was a leading jump jockey |url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/riding-legend-lester-piggott-was-a-leading-jump-jockey/8164 |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=Racing Post |date=29 May 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529141004/https://www.racingpost.com/news/riding-legend-lester-piggott-was-a-leading-jump-jockey/8164 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Apalachee (Lester Piggott).jpg|thumb|right|Piggott riding [[Apalachee (horse)|Apalachee]] in 1973 or 1974]]
In 1980, his relationship with the [[Robert Sangster|Sangster]]–O'Brien combination came to an end and he was appointed stable jockey to Noel Murless's son-in-law [[Henry Cecil]],<ref name=Irish /> the [[British flat racing Champion Trainer]], at Murless's old stables, Warren Place. He was again champion jockey in 1981 and 1982.<ref name=Irish />

In late 1983, a dispute arose as to whether Piggott had reneged on an agreement to ride [[Daniel Wildenstein]]'s [[All Along]] in the [[Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe]] for Patrick Louis Biancone when Piggott stated he had agreed to ride the previous year's Arc third [[Awaasif]] and could only ride All Along if that horse did not run. All Along was ridden instead by [[Walter Swinburn]], with Wildenstein refusing to allow Piggott to ride any more of his horses. It was costly for Piggott, as All Along won the Arc and a string of other international races in an autumn campaign that ended with her being named [[Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year|U.S. Horse of the Year]]. As Wildenstein was one of Cecil's principal owners, this placed a strain on the relationship and, in 1984, Cecil and Piggott split, with [[Steve Cauthen]] taking over at Warren Place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/16/sports/cauthen-s-success-amazes-britain.html |title=Cauthen's Success Amazes Britain |work=[[The New York Times]] |at=Section 5, page 6 |date=16 June 1985 |access-date=1 June 2021}}</ref>

In 1985, Piggott rode freelance, with big wins including the [[Prix de Diane]] for [[André Fabre]] aboard Lypharita, the [[2000 Guineas Stakes]] for [[Michael Stoute]] on [[Shadeed]] and the [[International Stakes|Benson and Hedges Gold Cup]] and [[Irish Champion Stakes]] for [[Luca Cumani]] on [[Commanche Run]].<ref name="prodigy">{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/lester-piggott-child-prodigy-who-blossomed-into-a-riding-legend-and-statesman/559163|title=Lester Piggott: child prodigy who blossomed into a riding legend and statesman |work=[[Racing Post]]|date=29 May 2022|accessdate=29 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.racingpost.com/news/luca-cumanis-greatest-horses-in-an-outstanding-training-career/350520|title=Star names who have lit up Luca Cumani's glittering career|work=[[Racing Post]] |date=21 November 2018 |accessdate=29 May 2022}}</ref>

With 4,493 career wins on the Flat in Britain and approximately 5,300 worldwide,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The remarkable facts and figures behind Lester Piggott's glittering career &#124; Racing Post|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/lester-piggott/the-remarkable-facts-and-figures-behind-lester-piggotts-glittering-career/559151|access-date=2022-05-31|website=racingpost.com}}</ref> including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest [[flat racing]] jockeys of all time.<ref>{{cite web |title=70th Anniversary of Lester Piggott's First Ever Victory |url=https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/media/news/2018/08/smarkets-ladies-day-rose-of-lancaster-stakes-on-saturday-11-august-marks-the-70th-anniversary-of-flat-racings-greatest-jockey-lester-piggotts-first-ever-victory/ |website=The Jockey Club |access-date=4 September 2019 |date=6 August 2018}}</ref> Piggott's 30 Classic wins in Britain came from 25 individual horses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Timeform ratings analysis &#124; Lester Piggott classic winners|url=https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/timeform-ratings-analysis-or-lester-piggott-classic-winners/201114|access-date=2022-06-04|website=Sporting Life|location=UK|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Of his great winners, Piggott regarded Sir Ivor as the easiest to ride.<ref>[http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/about/11751596123228.html About the Home of Racing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409134651/http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/about/11751596123228.html |date=9 April 2008 }} Jockey Club</ref><ref>[http://www.salisburyracecourse.co.uk/press/news25.html Lester Piggott to open New Wiltshire Stand at Salisbury] Salisbury Racecourse {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724090616/http://www.salisburyracecourse.co.uk/press/news25.html |date=24 July 2008 }}</ref>

==Later life==
Piggott retired as a jockey at the end of the 1985 flat season and became a trainer. His Eve Lodge stables in [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]] in  [[Suffolk]], housed 97 horses and sent out 34 winners. His burgeoning new career as a trainer was ended when he was convicted of [[tax fraud]] and jailed. He was stripped of his appointment as [[Order of the British Empire|Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE), which had been awarded in 1975.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16823208|title=Honours stripped: Who else has lost out?|publisher=BBC|date=31 January 2012}}</ref> He served 366 days in prison.<ref name=bbc1 /> According to Piggott, a commonly held belief that he was prosecuted after using an undeclared bank account, to make a final settlement of his tax liabilities, is a myth.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Piggott resumed his career as a jockey in 1990, at the age of 55, and won the [[Breeders' Cup Mile]] on [[Royal Academy (horse)|Royal Academy]] within ten days of his return. He rode another Classic winner, Rodrigo de Triano, in the 1992 [[2000 Guineas]]. His last win in Britain was in October 1994 and he officially retired in 1995; his last British ride was in the [[November Handicap]] on 5 November 1994, but he rode abroad through the winter of 1994–95, winning the [[Black Opal Stakes]] on Zadok in [[Canberra]] on 5 March 1995<ref>"Lester down under", ''[[Daily Express]]'' page 51, 6 March 1995</ref> before deciding not to return for the 1995 British Flat turf season.<ref name="prodigy" />

Piggott lived near Newmarket for the entire duration of his career. He later emigrated to [[Bursinel]], Switzerland, where he continued to reside with his partner and family friend Lady Barbara FitzGerald, then the 55-year-old wife of [[Lord John FitzGerald]], though legally he was still married to his wife Susan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davison |first1=Phil |title=Obituary: Lord John FitzGerald, racehorse trainer |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-lord-john-fitzgerald-racehorse-trainer-1497983 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=10 August 2015 |language=en |quote=Lord John was the subject of unwanted headlines three years ago after his wife, Lady Barbara, then 55, eloped to her native Switzerland with arguably the greatest flat-racing jockey of all time, Lester Piggott, then 77, who is also still married. Both Lord John and Piggott's wife of more than 50 years, Susan, said at the time: 'We're OK with it. We're all still friends.' | access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref> In 2004, he published the book ''Lester's Derbys''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lester's Derbys |date=2004 |publisher=Methuen |last1=Piggott |first1=Lester |last2=Magee |first2=Sean |isbn=978-0-413-77411-8 |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VyIMAAAACAAJ |id={{ASIN|0413774112|country=ca}}|access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref>

On 15 May 2007, Piggott was admitted to intensive care in a hospital in [[Geneva]], following a recurrence of a previous heart problem. His wife stated that this illness was not life-threatening and that he was recovering in intensive care as a precaution.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nz.news.yahoo.com/jockey-icon-lester-piggott-dead-092436121.html|title=Jockey icon Lester Piggott dead aged 86 after battling heart problems|publisher=Yahoo!|access-date=29 May 2022|date=29 May 2022}}</ref> He attended [[Royal Ascot]] in June 2007<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article1975333.ece | work=The Times | title=Piggott shows star quality in photofinish | date=23 June 2007 | access-date=7 May 2010 | first1=Alan | last1=Lee | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523235732/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article1975333.ece | archive-date=23 May 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[2008 Epsom Derby|Epsom Derby]] in June 2008 where he tipped the winner, New Approach, during a [[BBC television]] interview. He was also present for the [[2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup]] where he presented a trophy to jockey [[Tony McCoy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/michael-dickinson-they-call-him-the-mad-genius/226227|title=Michael Dickinson: They call him the mad genius &#124; Racing Post|website=racingpost.com}}</ref>

In 2014 the Eve Lodge Stables training yard and complex, which included four semi-detached, two-bedroom bungalows and which could house up to 100 horses, was put on the market for £1.25&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/australasia-travel/australia/lester-piggott-closes-the-stable-door-at-his-newmarket-centre-wjvv9s8lbtd|title=Lester Piggott closes the stable door at his Newmarket centre|first=Deirdre|last=Hipwell|work=The Times}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Piggott was married to Susan Armstrong. They married at St. Mark's church, North Audley Street, London, in 1960. Her father, Sam Armstrong, and her brother, [[Robert Armstrong (racehorse trainer)|Robert Armstrong]], were both racehorse trainers. They had two daughters, Maureen, an ex-[[eventing|eventer]] (married to Derby-winning trainer [[William Haggas]]) and [[Tracy Piggott|Tracy]] (a sports presenter on Irish television station [[RTÉ]]). He also had a son, Jamie, also a jockey, from a relationship with Anna Ludlow.<ref name="independent.ie-20140311O'Riordan">{{cite news |last1=O'Riordan |first1=Alison |title=Jamie Piggott: apprentice legend |url=https://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/health/jamie-piggott-apprentice-legend-30083400.html |access-date=29 May 2022 |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=11 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Rock_interview /><ref name="Guardian20151013DMcRae">{{cite news |first1=Donald |last1=McRae |date=13 October 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/13/lester-piggott-80-jockey-interview-racing |title= Lester Piggott: 'A lot of people know I'm going to turn 80 – but I wish they didn't' |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=16 March 2021}}</ref>

Piggott was partially deaf and had a minor speech impediment. He was also known for his dry wit, despite a reputation for being taciturn. For example, when asked by a reporter, after Karabas had [[Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup#Winners of the Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup since 1952|won]] the 1969 [[Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup|Washington International]], when he thought he would win, Piggott replied "about two weeks ago". Allegedly when asked by a stable employee for a £1 gratuity, Piggott motioned to the employee to speak into his "good ear", at which point the employee increased the request to £2. Piggott responded with "try the other ear again". On being asked by a young girl serving him with ice cream if he was soul singer [[Wilson Pickett]], he said "yes".<ref name=Rock_interview>{{cite news |last1=Rock |first1=Graham |title=Chief Whip |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/may/06/features.sportmonthly |access-date=15 April 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=6 May 2001}}</ref><ref name=guardian2005 />

==Death==
Piggott died in hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, on 29 May 2022, at the age of 86.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 May 2022 |title=Lester Piggott: Former champion jockey and nine-time Derby winner dies aged 86 |work=Sky Sports |url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12426/12623485/lester-piggott-former-champion-jockey-and-nine-time-derby-winner-dies-aged-86 |access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spiegel.de/sport/galopprennsport-lester-piggott-jockey-legende-ist-tot-a-56bff5f8-8687-4128-8c2a-6dc086616654|title= Jockey-Legende Lester Piggott ist tot |work=Der Spiegel|date=29 May 2022|accessdate=30 May 2022 |language=de}}</ref>

==Recognition==
The annual jockey awards [[Lester Award|The Lesters]], inaugurated in 1990, are named in his honour.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lesters |url=https://www.thepja.co.uk/the-lesters/ |website=The PJA |publisher=Professional Jockeys Association |access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref> In 1999, the ''[[Racing Post]]'' ranked Piggott as second in their list of the Top 50 jockeys of the 20th century, behind [[Gordon Richards (jockey)|Gordon Richards]].<ref name=RP50>{{cite news |title=A century of racing – 50 greatest flat jockeys|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Richards+is+in+a+class+of+his+own%3B+A+CENTURY+OF+RACING+-+50+GREATEST...-a060181484 |work=Racing Post |date=17 May 1999 |access-date=19 September 2016}}</ref> In 2021, Piggott was, along with [[Frankel (horse)|Frankel]], one of the first two entries in the British Champions Series Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/latest/lester-piggott-and-frankel-the-first-racing-greats-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/486363|title=Lester Piggott and Frankel the first racing greats inducted into Hall of Fame &#124; Racing Post|website=racingpost.com}}</ref>

==Major wins==
Below is a list of major victories by Piggott, as determined by the RacingBase website, categorised by the country of the race.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.racingbase.com/category/Racing-People/Racing-People-Lester-Piggott-200909300002/|title=Racing People: Lester Piggott|date=16 March 2020 |work=racingbase.com|access-date=30 May 2022 |archive-date=28 November 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111128163714/http://www.racingbase.com/category/Racing-People/Racing-People-Lester-Piggott-200909300002/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

'''Canada'''
* [[Canadian International Stakes]] – (1) – ''Dahlia (1974)''

'''France'''
* [[Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère|Grand Critérium (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère)]] – (3) – ''Sir Ivor (1967), Breton (1969), [[My Swallow]] (1970)''
* [[Grand Prix de Paris]] – (2) – ''Roll of Honour (1970), Sagaro (1974)''
* [[Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud]] – (1) – ''Teenoso (1984)''
* [[Poule d'Essai des Pouliches]] – (2) – ''Rajput Princess (1964), River Lady (1982)''
* [[Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp]] – (4) – ''Tower Walk (1969), Balidar (1970), Moorestyle (1980), Mr Brooks (1992)''
* [[Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe]] – (3) – ''Rheingold (1973), [[Alleged (horse)|Alleged]] (1977 & 1978)''
* [[Prix de Diane]] – (3) – ''[[Mrs Penny]] (1980), [[Madam Gay]] (1981), Lypharita (1985)''
* [[Prix de la Forêt]] – (2) – ''Moorestyle (1980 & 1981)''
* [[Prix Ganay]] – (1) – ''Trillion (1978)''
* [[Prix Jacques Le Marois]] – (1) – ''Nonoalco (1974)''
* [[Prix Jean Prat]] – (3) – ''Speedy Dakota (1975), Dom Racine (1978), Night Alert (1980)''
* [[Prix du Jockey Club]] – (1) – ''Hard to Beat (1972)''
* [[Prix Lupin]] – (2) – ''Hard to Beat (1972), Persépolis (1982)''
* [[Prix Marcel Boussac]] – (3) – ''Vela (1969), Play It Safe (1981), Midway Lady (1985)''
* [[Prix Maurice de Gheest]] – (4) – ''Mountain Call (1968), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1981), College Chapel (1993)''
* [[Prix Morny]] – (2) – ''My Swallow (1970), Nonoalco (1973)''
* [[Prix du Moulin de Longchamp]] – (3) – ''Habitat (1969), Gold Rod (1970), Sparkler (1973)''
* [[Prix Rothschild]] – (1) – ''Topsy (1979)''
* [[Prix Royal-Oak]] – (1) – ''Ardross (1981)''
* [[Prix Saint-Alary]] – (1) – ''Nobiliary (1975)''
* [[Prix de la Salamandre]] – (2) – ''My Swallow (1970), Nonoalco (1973)''
* [[Prix Vermeille]] – (1) – ''Aunt Edith (1965)''

'''Germany'''
* [[Deutsches Derby]] – (3) – ''Orsini (1957), Fanfar (1963), Luciano (1967)''
* [[Preis der Diana]] – (1) – ''On Dit (1967)''
* [[Preis von Europa]] – (1) – ''Esprit du Nord (1983)''

'''Ireland'''
* [[Irish 1,000 Guineas]] – (2) – ''Favoletta (1971), Godetia (1979)''
* [[Irish 2,000 Guineas]] – (3) – ''Decies (1970), Jaazeiro (1978), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)''
* [[Irish Champion Stakes]] – (3) – ''Malacate (1976), Inkerman (1978), Commanche Run (1985)''
* [[Irish Derby]] – (5) – ''Meadow Court (1965), Ribocco (1967), Ribero (1968), [[The Minstrel]] (1977), [[Shergar]] (1981)''
* [[Irish Oaks]] – (3) – ''Santa Tina (1970), Juliette Marny (1975), Godetia (1979)''
* [[Irish St. Leger]] – (3) – ''Dan Kano (1967), Caucasus (1975), Meneval (1976)''
* [[Matron Stakes (Ireland)|Matron Stakes]] – (1) – ''Kalamaika (1978)''
* [[Moyglare Stud Stakes]] – (1) – ''Lemon Souffle (1993)''
* [[National Stakes]] – (4) – ''Cellini (1973), Sir Wimborne (1975), El Prado (1991), Fatherland (1992)''
* [[Phoenix Stakes]] – (1) – ''Getaway (1958)''
* [[Pretty Polly Stakes (Ireland)|Pretty Polly Stakes]] – (3) – ''Mariel (1971), Godetia (1979), Calandra (1980)''
* [[Tattersalls Gold Cup]] – (2) – ''Cavo Doro (1973), Elegant Air (1985)''

'''Italy'''
* [[Derby Italiano]] – (3) – ''Bonconte di Montefeltro (1969), Cerreto (1973), Welnor (1984)''
* [[Gran Criterium]] – (1) – ''Alhijaz (1991)''
* [[Gran Premio del Jockey Club]] – (4) – ''Nagami (1958), Marco Visconti (1966), Awaasif (1983), Silvernesian (1992)''
* [[Premio Presidente della Repubblica (horse race)|Premio Presidente della Repubblica]] – (1) – ''Moulton (1973)''
* [[Premio Roma]] – (3) – ''Irvine (1972), Noble Saint (1979), Old Country (1985)''

'''Singapore'''
* [[Singapore Derby]] – (1) – ''Saas Fee (1979)''
* [[Queen Elizabeth II Cup]] – (2) – ''Jumbo Jet (1972)''

'''Slovakia'''
* Derby – (1) – ''Zimzalabim (1993)''

'''United Kingdom'''
* [[1,000 Guineas Stakes|1,000 Guineas]] – (2) – ''[[Humble Duty]] (1970), [[Fairy Footsteps]] (1981)''
* [[2,000 Guineas Stakes|2,000 Guineas]] – (5) – ''[[Crepello]] (1957), [[Sir Ivor]] (1968), [[Nijinsky II|Nijinsky]] (1970), [[Shadeed]] (1985), [[Rodrigo de Triano]] (1992)''
* [[Ascot Gold Cup]] – (11) – ''Zarathustra (1957), Gladness (1958), Pandofell (1961), [[Twilight Alley]] (1963), Fighting Charlie (1965), [[Sagaro]] (1975, 1976 & 1977), [[Le Moss]] (1979), [[Ardross (horse)|Ardross]] (1981 & 1982)''
* [[Champion Stakes]] – (5) – ''[[Petite Etoile]] (1959), Pieces of Eight (1966), [[Sir Ivor]] (1968), [[Giacometti (horse)|Giacometti]] (1974), [[Rodrigo de Triano]] (1992)''
* [[Cheveley Park Stakes]] – (4) – ''[[Fleet (horse)|Fleet]] (1966), Lalibela (1967), [[Durtal (horse)|Durtal]] (1976), [[Marwell (horse)|Marwell]] (1980)''
* [[Golden Jubilee Stakes|Cork and Orrery Stakes (Golden Jubilee Stakes)]] – (9) – ''[[Right Boy]] (1958 & 1959), Tin Whistle (1960), El Gallo (1963), Mountain Call (1968), Welsh Saint (1970), [[Saritamer]] (1974), [[Thatching (horse)|Thatching]] (1979), College Chapel (1993)''
* [[Coronation Cup]] – (9) – ''Zucchero (1953), Nagami (1959), Petite Etoile (1960 & 1961), [[Park Top]] (1969), [[Roberto (horse)|Roberto]] (1973), [[Quiet Fling]] (1976), [[Sea Chimes]] (1980), [[Be My Native]] (1983)''
* [[Coronation Stakes]] – (5) – ''Aiming High (1961), Calve (1972), Lisadell (1974), [[Roussalka (horse)|Roussalka]] (1975), Chalon (1982)''
* [[Epsom Derby|Derby]] – (9) – ''[[Never Say Die (horse)|Never Say Die]] (1954), Crepello (1957), [[St. Paddy]] (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), [[Roberto (horse)|Roberto]] (1972), [[Empery]] (1976), [[The Minstrel]] (1977), [[Teenoso]] (1983)''
* [[Dewhurst Stakes]] – (10) – ''[[Crepello]] (1956), Follow Suit (1962), [[Ribofilio]] (1968), Nijinsky (1969), [[Crowned Prince]] (1971), [[Cellini (horse)|Cellini]] (1973), The Minstrel (1976), [[Try My Best]] (1977), [[Monteverdi (horse)|Monteverdi]] (1979), [[Diesis (horse)|Diesis]] (1982)''
* [[Eclipse Stakes]] – (7) – ''Mystery IX (1951), [[Darius (horse)|Darius]] (1955), Arctic Explorer (1957), St Paddy (1961), Pieces of Eight (1966), [[Wolver Hollow]] (1969), [[Artaius (horse)|Artaius]] (1977)''
* [[Falmouth Stakes]] – (7) – ''Sylphide (1957), Green Opal (1960), Chrona (1966), Vital Match (1969), Chalon (1982), Niche (1993), [[Lemon Souffle]] (1994)''
* [[Fillies' Mile]] – (4) – ''Escorial (1973), Miss Pinkie (1976), [[Cherry Hinton (horse)|Cherry Hinton]] (1977), [[Oh So Sharp]] (1984)''
* [[Haydock Sprint Cup]] – (3) – ''Green God (1971), [[Abergwaun (horse)|Abergwaun]] (1972), [[Moorestyle]] (1980)''
* [[International Stakes]] – (5) – ''[[Dahlia (horse)|Dahlia]] (1974 & 1975), [[Hawaiian Sound]] (1978), [[Commanche Run]] (1985), Rodrigo de Triano (1992)''
* [[July Cup]] – (10) – ''Vigo (1957), Right Boy (1958 & 1959), Tin Whistle (1960), Thatch (1973), Saritamer (1974), [[Solinus (horse)|Solinus]] (1978), Thatching (1979), Moorestyle (1980), [[Mr Brooks (horse)|Mr Brooks]] (1992)''
* [[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes]] – (7) – ''Meadow Court (1965), [[Aunt Edith]] (1966), Park Top (1969), Nijinsky (1970), Dahlia (1974), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1984)''
* [[King's Stand Stakes]] – (7) – ''Right Boy (1957), Majority Rule (1963), Swing Easy (1971), Abergwaun (1973), [[Godswalk]] (1977), Solinus (1978), [[Never So Bold]] (1985)''
* [[Lockinge Stakes]] – (6) – ''Sovereign Path (1960), The Creditor (1964), Sparkler (1973), Belmont Bay (1981), [[Polar Falcon]] (1991), Swing Low (1993)''
* [[Middle Park Stakes]] – (6) – ''[[Petingo]] (1967), [[Steel Heart (horse)|Steel Heart]] (1974), [[Junius (horse)|Junius]] (1978), Mattaboy (1980), Cajun (1981), Diesis (1982)''
* [[Nassau Stakes]] – (5) – ''Aunt Edith (1965), Haymaking (1966), Cheveley Princess (1973), Roussalka (1975 & 1976)''
* [[Nunthorpe Stakes]] – (7) – ''Right Boy (1958 & 1959), Matatina (1963), Caterina (1966), Tower Walk (1969), Swing Easy (1971), Solinus (1978)''
* [[Epsom Oaks|Oaks]] – (6) – ''[[Carrozza]] (1957), Petite Etoile (1959), [[Valoris]] (1966), [[Juliette Marny]] (1975), [[Blue Wind]] (1981), [[Circus Plume]] (1984)''
* [[Prince of Wales's Stakes]] – (3) – ''Gift Card (1973), Anne's Pretender (1976), Crimson Beau (1979)''
* [[Queen Anne Stakes]] – (5) – ''Sparkler (1972), Baptism (1979), Belmont Bay (1981), Mr Fluorocarbon (1982), Trojan Fen (1984)''
* [[Queen Elizabeth II Stakes]] – (4) – ''The Creditor (1963), Linacre (1964), [[Hill Rise]] (1966), [[To-Agori-Mou]] (1981)''
* [[Racing Post Trophy]] – (5) – ''[[Ribocco]] (1966), [[Noble Decree]] (1972), [[Apalachee (horse)|Apalachee]] (1973), [[Dunbeath (horse)|Dunbeath]] (1982), [[Lanfranco (horse)|Lanfranco]] (1984)''
* [[St. James's Palace Stakes]] – (5) – ''Roan Rocket (1964), Petingo (1968), Thatch (1973), [[Jaazeiro]] (1978), Bairn (1985)''
* [[St. Leger Stakes|St. Leger]] – (8) – ''St Paddy (1960), Aurelius (1961), Ribocco (1967), [[Ribero]] (1968), Nijinsky (1970), [[Athens Wood]] (1971), Boucher (1972), Commanche Run (1984)''
* [[Sun Chariot Stakes]] – (6) – ''Popkins (1970), Cheveley Princess (1973), Swiss Maid (1978), Topsy (1979), Snow (1980), Home on the Range (1981)''
* [[Triumph Hurdle]] – (1) – '' Prince Charlemagne (1954) ''
* [[Sussex Stakes]] – (6) – ''Petite Etoile (1959), Roan Rocket (1964), Petingo (1968), Thatch (1973), Artaius (1977), Jaazeiro (1978)''
* [[Yorkshire Oaks]] – (4) – ''Petite Etoile (1959), Parthian Glance (1966), Shoot A Line (1980), Awaasif (1982)''

'''United States'''
* [[Breeders' Cup Mile]] – (1) – ''Royal Academy (1990)''
* [[Washington, D.C. International Stakes|Washington, D.C. International]] – (3) – ''Sir Ivor (1968), Karabas (1969), Argument (1980)''

==In popular culture==
The British music band [[James (band)|James]] recorded a song named "Sometimes (Lester Piggott)" on their 1993 album ''[[Laid (album)|Laid]]''. The [[Outro (music)|outro]] on the original 12" of ''[[Sit Down (song)|Sit Down]]'' (1989) also featured a falsetto voice singing the jockey's name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/laid-mw0000104526|title=James Laid Album Reviews, Songs & More |work=AllMusic}}</ref> The 1990 [[Van Morrison]] song "[[Enlightenment (Van Morrison album)#Track listing|In the Days Before Rock 'n Roll]]" also mentions Piggott by name: "When we let, then we bet / On Lester Piggott when we met [ten to one] / And we let the goldfish go".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://preview.spectator.co.uk/article/spiky-sticky-silly-interviewing-van-morrison|title=Spiky, sticky, silly: interviewing Van Morrison|date=29 August 2020|website=The Spectator Australia}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOyOBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT152|title=Lit Up Inside: Selected Lyrics|first=Van|last=Morrison|date=30 September 2014|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-31621-2 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://theimmortaljukebox.com/2015/07/21/van-morrison-in-the-days-before-rock-n-roll/|title=Van Morrison – in The Days Before Rock 'n' Roll!|first=Thom|last=Hickey|newspaper=The Immortal Jukebox |date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

Piggott was frequently caricatured on ITV's ''[[Spitting Image]]'', in which he was portrayed as having mumbling diction, voiced by [[Enn Reitel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/aug/14/80s-tv-eastenders-spitting-image|title=The voice of Lester Piggott as Del-Boy, and other 80s telly secrets|first=Tom|last=Bromley|date=13 August 2010|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

In 1991, during a period in which [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] faced public pressure [[finances of the British royal family#Taxation|to pay taxes]], the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]'' showed a cover picture of her talking on a telephone, asking for Lester Piggott.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.private-eye.co.uk/covers.php?showme=771|work=Private Eye|title=covers library, issue 771|date=5 July 1991|access-date=25 September 2017}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

* {{Cite book |last=Piggott |first=Lester |year=1996 |title=Lester: The Autobiography of Lester Piggott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2LJOwAACAAJ |publisher=Transworld Publishers |isbn=978-0-552-14153-6 |access-date=4 June 2022}}
* {{cite book |first1=Lester |last1=Piggott |last2=Magee |first2=Sean |date=2004 |title=Lester's Derbys |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VyIMAAAACAAJ |publisher=Methuen |isbn=978-0-413-77411-8 |location=London |id={{ASIN|0413774112|country=ca}} |access-date=29 May 2022}}

==See also==
* [[List of jockeys]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=David |first=Roy |year=1989 |title=Lester Piggott: Downfall of a Legend |publisher=Heinemann |isbn=0-434-98178-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Francis |first=Dick |year=1986 |title=Lester: The Official Biography |url=https://archive.org/details/lesterofficialbi00fra_ubp |url-access=registration |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=0-7181-1255-5}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWo2pkiiErQ Horse Racing Legends. Lester Piggott]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151016175710/http://www.jockeysroom.com/itm00138.htm Lester Piggot, "The Living Legend". The Jockey's Room]
* [https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/lester-piggotts-record-nine-derby-winners/201066 The record nine Derby winners] – sportinglife.com
* {{NPG name|id=06464}}
* {{IMDb name|3106292}}
* {{IMDb title|3267502}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piggott, Lester}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:English jockeys]]
[[Category:English people convicted of tax crimes]]
[[Category:People from Wantage]]
[[Category:People stripped of a British Commonwealth honour]]
[[Category:British Champion flat jockeys]]
[[Category:British Champion apprentice jockeys]]
[[Category:British sportspeople convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Deaf jockeys]]
[[Category:British racehorse trainers]]