I don't pretend to know Lester absolutely: he's a complex human being and there are impenetrable parts of the forest. I write of him as I know him at first hand. I write of the level-headed man who has emerged from the transcripts of dozens of hours of recordings. I listen to the truths in his recorded voice. I've written what he has said, and what I've seen.
Back in 1950, as a fourteen-year-old child competing on adult terms, aware of his skill but still groping for social sureness, his rounded face mirrored his anxieties. To see Lester as he is now, look at the dust jacket of this book: a mature, secure, calm man of good sense, with humour and humanity in his eyes.
That's the true Lester; the product of the journey.
He told me in January 1984 that he thought he would ride for only two more seasons.
He had been saying "two or three more" for about ten years, but this sounded more positive.
I asked why he should stop when he was riding as well as ever.
After a while he said, "I think I win now chiefly from experience. From knowing where to be, and what to do. I may think I'm as strong as I was ten years ago ... I may feel that I am ... but I'm probably not. I'll have to stop sometime. I think I'll stop when I'm fifty."
He didn't sound sad, but I felt it.
How long, I asked him, would he have gone on being a jockey if it hadn't been for growing older, if he could have stopped time and stayed young.
A wry smile. No hesitation. "A thousand years," he said.
-
26 Lester Piggott-British Wins
Whilst we have striven to present these statistics as accurately as possible, one or two errors are bound to have been overlooked during the production of such a mammoth list, and for these we apologise.
Lester Piggott – British Wins
Race
Value
Dist
Date
Course
Horse
Race
£
Fur
Owner
Trainer
S/P
1948
18 Aug
Haydock
The Chase
Wigan Lane S Hcp 8F Selli
294
8
Mrs B J R Lavington
K Piggott
10/1
1948: 1 win; 2 2nds; 24 rides
1949
20 Aug
Newbury
Forest Glade
207
7
Mrs B J R Lavington
K Piggott
6/1
1 Sept
Bath
Secret Code
188
12
Mrs B J R Lavington
K Piggott
7/2F
26 Sept
Birmingham
Gold Sandal
207
8
Mrs T Lilley
F Templeman
5/2F
21 Oct
Newbury
Variety Girl
Didcot Nursery Hcp
552
7
E Thornton-Smith
F Templeman
100/6
28 Oct
Thirsk
Flurry
267
5
E Strong
F Hartigan
100/8
9 Nov
Liverpool
Little Bonnet
414
6
J Olding
H Persse
15/2
1949: 6 wins; 8 2nds; 10 3rds; 120 rides
1950
10 Apl
Kempton
Extra-Dry
347
12
W Harvey
K Piggott
6/1
1 May
Bath
Cool Shamrock
276
8
J Hallinan
K Cundell
100/8
12 May
Kempton
Tancred
Queen Elizabeth
855
5
S L Sheldrick
K Cundell
5/1
31 May
Chepstow
Green Tipperary
188
10
Mrs B J R Lavington
K Piggott
6/1
5 June
Lewes
Humanity
207
5
E Thornton-Smith
F Templeman
2/1F
21 June
Newbury
Humanity
Empire Hcp
690
5
E Thornton-Smith
F Templeman
100/7
23 June
Sandown
Lanarth *dead heat
305
13½
R T Fox-Carlyon
W Pratt
9/4F
3 July
Nottingham
Brickworth Belle
207
5
T Venn
H Whiteman
10/1
6 July
Salisbury
Alizarene
207
8
R O Girling
K Cundell
9/2
14 July
Sandown
Wild Chancellor
545
8
W Van De Stadt
K Cundell
8/1
22 July
Hurst Park
Alizarene
276
8
R O Girling
K Cundell
10/3
25 July
Goodwood
Vidi Via
Craven Stks
650
10
P G Thompson
T R Rimell
6/1
29July
Worcester
Star of Clubs
410
6
J G Dimond
K Cundell
5/1
1 Aug
Birmingham
Fair Betty
277
10
W J Rimell
T R Rimell
10/1
2 Aug
Bath
Tai-Yat
438
17
S G Banks
G Todd
10/3
7 Aug
Chepstow
Trigennie
207
10
G A Lister
K Cundell
20/1
8 Aug
Chepstow
Gold Sandal
207
8
E Thornton-Smith
F Templeman
7/1
10 Aug
Brighton
Star of Clubs
287
6
J G Dimond
K Cundell
11/2
11 Aug
Lewes
Moorish Spangle
138
12
Mrs W R Tarrant
G Bennett
10/1F
14 Aug
Folkestone
Blue Sapphire
313
12
Maharajah of Baroda
G Duller
3/1
14 Aug
Folkestone
No Light
207
10
Lord Abergavenny
W Payne
5/1
17 Aug
Windsor
Trigennie
220
12
G A Lister
K Cundell
5/4
23 Aug
Salisbury
Barman
292
5
W A Jackson
J G Waugh
3/1
24 Aug
Salisbury
New Pioneer
207
12
J Ismay
M Blackmore
8/1
25 Aug
Lingfield
Lancashire Lassie Hever Stks
527
7
G R Beard
R Smyth
6/1
26 Aug
Lingfield
Blue Sapphire
227
12
Maharajah of Baroda
G Duller
EvF
30 Aug
Brighton
Humanity
310
6
E Thornton-Smith
F Templeman
11/2
31 Aug
Brighton
Sun Flame
717
12
Lt Col D T Wallis
K Cundell
5/1
1 Sept
Folkestone
Don's Fancy
138
15
C Braham
W Payne
2/1F
1 Sept
Folkestone
Queen's Prize
138
12
Mrs E J Lewis
J C Waugh
5/1
2 Sept
Folkestone
White Ant
207
6
O/trainer
G N Bennett
4/5F
11 Sept
Wolver'ton
Curly Cut
207
8
P B Raymond
M Collins
10/3
14 Sept
Bath
Finalis
188
12
O/trainer
F Templeman
7/1
16 Sept
Kempton
Sun Flame
365
12
Lt Col D T Wallis
K Cundell
6/4F
20 Sept
Brighton
Zina
Brighton Autumn Cup
992
12
Lady I Guinness
F Cundell
11/2
21 Sept
Ascot
Tancred
Buckingham Palace Stks
1090
5
S L Sheldrick
K Cundell
5/IF
22 Sept
Ascot
Moorish Spangle
Wild Boar Stks
653
12
Mrs W R Tarrant
G Bennett
4/1
23 Sept
Ascot
Abraham's Star
Swinley Forest Hcp
483
7
P G Thompson
T R Rimell
6/1
26 Sept
Newmarket
Horatia
Abington Mile Nursery St
700
5
F C Bailey
K Cundell
10/1
28 Sept
Newmarket
Holm Bush
Jockey Club Stks
5,372
10
Sir D Bailey
A Budgett
5/1
30 Sept
Newbury
Finalis
485
12
O/trainer
F Templeman
100/8
30 Sept
Newbury
Extra-Dry
483
16
W Harvey
K Piggott
100/6
4 Oct
Lingfield
Eldoret
207
16
T G Johnson
W Payne
9/2
7 Oct
Ascot
Damremont
483
7
P G Thompson
T R Rimell
5/1
11 Oct
Newmarket
Golden Quip
362
7
Maj D J Vaughan
F Cundell
7/1F
13 Oct
Warwick
Taor
196
16
R O Girling
K Cundell
11/2
13 Oct
Warwick
Fancy Inn
138
5
Lady Baron
W Payne
7/4F
13 Oct
Warwick
No Light
198
8
Lord Abergavenny
W Payne
4/1
16 Oct
Wolver'ton
Moorish Spangle
276
12
Mrs W R Tarrant
G Bennett
7/1F
I8 Oct
Hurst Park
Pre-War
414
14
Mrs M H McAlpine
V Smyth
11/8F
21 Oct
Newbury
Zina
420
10
Lady I Guinness
F Cundell
21 Oct
Newbury
Horatia
552
8
P C Bailey
K Cundell
9/2
1950: 52 wins; 45 2nds; 39 3rds; 404 rides
1951
27 Mar
Kempton
Breath of Spring
356
5
M Wilson
J Powell
25/1
27 Mar
Kempton
Tancred
418
5
S L Sheldrick
K Cundell
15/2
29 Mar
Lincoln
Nuts and Wine
196
5
Maj G M Harbord
J Powell
5/4F
30 Mar
Lincoln
Roydon
198
12
Mrs E G Williams
J Powell
8/1
17 Apl
Birmingham
Grey Magic
207
5
Mrs P Reynolds
W Payne
6/1
23 Apl
Wolver'ton
Poo'lfix
207
5
O/trainer
F Hartigan
5/2
24 Apl
Epsom
Barnacle
Great Metropolitan
1,204
18
A Aman
A Budgett
10/1
26 Apl
Epsom
Zucchero
Blue Riband Trial Stks
2,439
8
G Rolls
K Cundell
7/1
28 Apl
Worcester
Game Boy
207
10
O/trainer
R Sturdy
4/1
30 Apl
Worcester
Palm Grove
383
5
O/trainer
F Hartigan
20/1
15 May
Birmingham
Dashwood
277
6
HWragg
C Pratt
15
/2
16 May
Salisbury
Wild Boy
312
5
Lady Baron
W Payne
6/1
16 May
Salisbury
Sun Flame
310
12
Lt Col D T Wallis
K Cundell
100/8
16 May
Salisbury
Fancy Inn
207
6
T Organ
W Payne
9/2
21 May
Warwick
Manhattan
198
5
Mrs S Jacobson
K Cundell
8/11F
26 May
Hurst Park
No Light
276
10
Lord Abergavenny
W Payne
2/1F
28 May
Wolver'ton
Prince Marika
276
5
M V Everett
T Farmer
9/4F
29 May
Epsom
Barnacle
Rosebery Memorial Hcp
690
18
Mrs J Bailward
A Budgett
7/1
29 May
Epsom
Deerslayer
420
7
Sir W Waldron
T Farmer
8/1