Lester Piggott

EC1

EC1

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late 1960's early 70's
I don't normally start threads like this but just feel the need to devote a thread to someone who ..as we have said before about Vincent O'Brien...imo deserves the accolade legend.

The thread about Henderson also got me thinking about this.

I've been watching Lester at some of the race day presentations recently..Ascot was one..and I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the man..some of you will probably totally disagree with that..I can't really explain it..but I feel that had he been an American jock they would have him on a pedestal. We don't..unfortunately mainly due to the tax issue..I think elsewhere that people would have forgiven that flaw in him and he would have been a sporting legend anywhere but here.

We as racing fans must surely hold the man as above the ordinary..maybe some of you don't feel like that..hoepfully that will come out on the thread.

When I were a kid I didn't know much about any sport bar football..but I heard names that stuck in my mind from other sports..they didn't even seem like ordinary names either..two that spring to mind were Stirling Moss ..Lester Piggott..what sort of names were they? Both epitomised their sport..and both sort of put a brand to it through their names..even to me.. that knew naff all about either sport.

Now I look back..Lester Piggott was the first person I really knew about re horse racing..his exploits reached me even as a young child. Because of this I have always had a soft spot for the man..which again is what I were saying on the Henderson thread..the human condition makes me want to ignore his wrong doing and appreciate his right doing.

I feel he is the forgotten man of racing in many ways as well. Was his crime really enough to wipe out all those many memorable years???

Do any of you feel the same way..am I being over sentimental?

I would love this thread to contain opinons about Lester..his importance to racing..his impact on taking the sport to a wider public..I would love to read anecdotes any of you know..many of you are connected with racing..you have probably heard more Lester stories than most.

One thing that really struck me whilst I were doing the sectional stuff re the Derby..was his ride on The Minstrel..his riding in the last furlong really struck me as the epitomy of man getting the best out of a horse..his efforts in that last furlong really are poetry in motion..pure power and totally at one with the horse...I believe that ride was the perfect example of why he was so good....check it out again..home in on his style in that last furlong...its bloody awesome..can't post a link..youtube isn't up at the mo.

Anyway..what are your views on the man?
 
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His sporting achievements are also, in my opinion, littered with inexplicably poor runs from strongly fancied runners. I could never take to the guy.

In his latter years, say his last ten, I reckon Willie Carson was one of the most reliable jockeys I ever saw. Despite his not coming across particularly well on TV, I still find I respect the wee man immensely for his riding ability.
 
Lester was shockingly good; a purely natural talent in abundance, I guess: where could anyone learn to be that good?
He was simply born to ride.

All my opinion, of course ...
 
He was awesome and could probably give some of today's jockeys a run for their money. If he had been born Ranulph Highbrow-Sterling, he would never have gone to prison.
 
I'm not denying he was an awesome talent. In my opinion he was more bent than Kieren Fallon trying to lick his own @rsehole.
 
I thought it was only dogs that could or did do that. Not that I'm saying Lester or Fallon are dogs. There is no doubt that they have both been proven to be entertainment value both in and out of the saddle.
 
Undoubtedly a great jockey but he always seemed totally ruthless in his approach.

Prepared to attempt to 'jock-off' anyone and everyone, never spared his mounts.

It would be interesting to know what the honest opinions of the jockey's who shared the weighing room with him, not of his riding talent but of Lester as a human being.
 
I am not bothered what he is like as a human being. He was ruthless in and out of the saddle because he was a winner.

His greatness is not a matter of opinion it's a matter of fact.
 
bloodnok said:
I am not bothered what he is like as a human being. He was ruthless in and out of the saddle because he was a winner.

His greatness is not a matter of opinion it's a matter of fact.
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Geoff Mullins is a winner and so are CJ Hunter, Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, Kelli White, Marco Pantani, Tommy Simpson - all are winners but at what cost?

There's far more to life than winning and conducting life in a decent manner is far more important IMHO.
 
First time posting here but for what its worth .Lester Piggott to was not only The Greatest Jockey in my time but also a really understanding human being,many years ago now I wrote to him (much to the amusement of all who knew me) and asked if he could help me find a job as an apprentice jockey.I came from London,had never ever even sat on a horse and apart from my elder brothers fanatic following of the horses knew little or nothing about the game.
Lester Piggott went out his way to find me a job,first he tried his father in laws yard,no joy but he did manage to get me in with John Winter and he did go out of his way to help and for that I will always hold him very high in my opinion.
I learned a lot in that yard but sadly threw it away after a time,one of the regrets I still have I learned everything from mucking out to riding out to race riding I met some wonderful characters it was a very hard life indeed you needed to be tough to get by and it helped if you had a bank of parents to help which I did not so times were hard but I have to say the thrill of riding over the Newmarket Heath is second to nothing in life .
Lester Piggott has a great sense of humour to there were many things he did but he should go down in history as one of the greatest that lived.
And no I did not agree when he was punished so badly over his taxes......
Its a bit long winded but it is from the horses mouth so to speak......
 
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time and again he is name dropped by contemparies as a true "genius". Far more so than any other jockey. It is an overused phrase (especially these days) but (i really only saw the latter stages of his career myself) it is significant when the likes of Pat Eddery (whos as down to earth as they come) speak in awe of his pure talent.
 
See Colin's post about his attitude to other riders mounts, sparing his mounts etc.

Very good jockey but even his biggest fans would say there are nicer people around. My point is that winning isn't anything and winning at all costs (as attempting to jock others off their horses) isn't the be all and end all.
 
Welcome badpianoplayer it's good to hear something first hand.

IS when it came to race riding that's what made him what he was, to him it is about winning at all costs. As to jocking others off I think maybe the trainer and owner would have had some input.
 
I don't blame him if the owners, trainers etc. are doing it (ala Jimmy Fortune/Frankie Dettori and Ravens Pass) but if he actively went out of his way to do it (I don't know that he did just what's implied from Colin's post) then it would be a different matter.

Equally I've no problem with a win at all costs attitude as long as people accept that all costs really does mean all costs - see those sportsmen I listed above who all "won at all costs" (though LP certainly didn't go as far as they did).
 
I have no idea if he went out of his way to do it, that's my point I won't condem someone on an implication or someone else's idea's based on some cock and bull they have heard and then passed it on as fact. Colin, you are in no way implicated in this.
 
tetley said:
I have no idea if he went out of his way to do it, that's my point I won't condem someone on an implication or someone else's idea's based on some cock and bull they have heard and then passed it on as fact. Colin, you are in no way implicated in this.
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Me neither but coupled with his criminal offences and the way he comes accross it makes me wonder.

He deserves all the credit he gets for his riding ability - outside of that though I'm highly sceptical.
 
I don't blame you for being sceptical. How people come across is another matter, some people are very personable (or media savvy) and are just made that way, Dettori springs to mind, unless we have first hand experience it's hard to say.People go on about Ryan Moore, could do this should do that, but away from the job could be the life and soul of the party. I have no idea as I have never met him.
 
badpianoplayer, that is certainly a side of Lester Piggott I didn't know about before, but it sounds plausible. Good on him.

At the same time, I could imagine him helping you to make your way as a jockey and then not hesitating to jock you off if some day you had ever got to ride the Derby favourite. For him there would have been no contradiction in that.
 
That sums it up anyone can IMAGINE anything they want. Sounds plausible wtf, why would someone come on here, speak from personal experience and lie?
 
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