Born in Wantage, Berkshire on November 5, 1935, Lester Piggott became apprenticed to his father, Keith, and rode his first winner, The Chase, at Haydock on August 18, 1948, when still only 12 years old. Indeed, he was still only 14 when he rode out his claim on Zina at Brighton on September 20, 1950. Fast forward to October 5, 1994, again at Haydock, and Piggott guided Palacegate Jack, trained by Jack Berry, to a short-head victory in a five-furlong conditions stakes race, thereby recording his final winner on British soil prior to his retirement, for the second and final time, the following season, at the age of 59.
At the time of his retirement, Piggott had ridden 4,493 winners on the Flat in Britain alone, including a record 30 British Classic winners. He first won the Derby on Never Say Die, trained by Joseph Lawson, in 1954, but went on to win the second colts’ Classic on Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), Empery (1976), The Minstrel (1977) and Teenoso (1983) for a record nine wins altogether. Of course, Nijinsky, trained by Vincent O’Brien, subsequently became the last horse to win the Triple Crown, justify odds of 2/7 with a comfortable win in the St. Leger at Doncaster.
At various stages of his career, Piggott was stable jockey to Noel (later Sir Noel) Murless, Vincent O’Brien and Murless’ son-in-law, Henry (later Sir Henry) Cecil. He was champion jockey 11 times between 1960 and 1982, including eight years running between 1964 and 1971, and reached the landmark of 4,000 career winners on Ardross, trained by Henry Cecil, in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on August 14, 1982. Ardross also won back-to-back renewals of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 1981 and 1982, contributing two to the record 116 victories Piggott chalked up at the June showpiece.