How great was Lester Piggot?
- #1Greatest ever flat race Jockey
- #2Not best ever flat jockey
- Steve Cauthen better
- Gordon Richards better
- Frank Dettori better
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On hearing about his demise I can’t express how memories lingered in my mind on this maestro.
Lester Piggott may not have statistically equalled Gordon Richards who won the jockey’s championship 26 times or Frankie Dettori’s heroics of number of wins in a day .However for sheer saddle artistry he had no equal,taking riding wizardry to a new dimension.No jockey ever was as astute a judge of pace ,could extract as much from a mount or deliver a knockout punch in a finish as convincingly as Lester.Piggot’s sheer golden touch was manifestation of the divine.No jockey ever looked more like a magician in the saddle.Lester simply took sporting genius to heights rarely traversed.As a tactician Lester had no equal.Lester was the supreme embodiment of sporting temerament and an epitome of waht made a jockey an athelete.
Lester was reminiscent of Muhammad Ali when he ressurected glory from dire straits.He displayed the characteristics of Hollywood stars in his comebacks.
His record 30 classic wins proved he was the ultimate man for the big occasion.
I doubt any jockey ever would have ridden Roberto,The Minstrel and Sir Ivor with the tactical and physical skill as Lester in the Epsom Derby or Ribero in the St Leger and Rheingold in the Arc.The explosive power he exuded to enable The Minstrel to collar Hot Grove and Roberto to nose out Rheingold reminded one of a landmine or a cowboy stampede..The late burst he got out of Sir Ivor to overtake Connaught in the 1968 Derby was simply judgement of pace personified.His tactical genius on Ribero in adverse circumstances demonstrated Lester’s great riding intelligence. His 1973 Arc victory on Rheingold making all the running and 1978 Arc win on Alleged displayed control of a Musical conductor.When winning on Royal Academy in the 1995 Breeders Cup Lester more than any Jockey made the equivalent of a comeback of a Hollywood Star.I also praise his finish to win on the Minstrel to stave off the challenge of Orange Bay in the 1977 King George and wins on Pollerton in the Copenhagen open and Ramirez in the Grand Prix de Dieppe.Finally Lester’s hatrick o Ascot Gold cup wins on Sagaro speaks about his unquestioned versatility.
Few sportsman every displayed determination or grit with the intensity of Lester who would rise like a phoenix from the Ashes like few other sportsman,let alone jockeys.From the most dire straits he would resurrect glory similar to how he could turn a race looking lost 360 degrees.I can never forget his regaining of the Jockey’s championship after 9 years in 1981 and 1982 and his comeback classic wins on Teenoso in the Derby in 1983 ,Commanche Run in the 1984 St Leger and Shadeed in the 1985 2000 Guineas.
What surprised me is that Lester only captured the Jockey’s championship 11 times.- and did not surpass Gordon Richards haul of 4870 winners.Even from 1972-1980 when Wille Carson and Pat Eddery were the champion jockeys Lester was the better jockey.Was his focus more on winning the big races?I feel so.Let us look at the number of times Lester won a King George or an Eclipse or Ascot Gold cup in addition to the classics.Even when not champion jockey he overpowered Eddery or Carson in the big races.I remember Lester’s Ascot Gold Cup win son Le Moss and ST Leger triumph on Light Cavalry
I ma be subjective bit I am convinced that Hawain Sound would have won the 1978 Epsom Derby with Piggott astride or even the 1984 Derby on El Gran Senor.It is also a possibility that without Lester’s guidance Sir Ivor or Nijinsky may never have turned into great champions. I doubt any rider could preserve and tap the reserves of energy to extract such a spell bounding finishing burst as Lester on Sir Ivor or control the temperamental Nijinsky in the manner of Lester.
Gordon Richards may have been better loved as a personalty.Had they been in the same era I would have backed Gordon to win more championships but Lester to always prevail in finishes in big races.Steve Cauthen may have been more effective than Lester when setting the pace but I doubt he equalled Piggot’s all-round skill.Wilie Carson may have been equally determined but could not equal Lester’s finishing power.To me Lester’s greatest rivals for the best jockey ever are Willie Shoemaker,Gordon Richards,Frank Dettori and Steve Cauthen in that order.
I doubt there will ever be a Lester Piggott again.
I ponder what precipitated his break up with Vincent O’Brien in 1981,where he lost great rides on stars like Golden Fleece and El Gran Senor .
Lester surprisingly maintained that Sir Ivor was the best ever horse he rode ,even ahead of Nijisnky.He may have been correct in a distance upto 10 furlongs, an Epsom Derby mile ad a half or in adverse conditions.Lester made a a most unfair evaluation of Dancing Brave,classing him as only a ‘Very Good ‘ horse.Peintre Celebre,in Lester’s view was the best star of the 1990’s.He also held Giant’s Causeway in great esteem.
I would love to read about Lester’s relationship or camaraderie with fellow jockeys .I wonder how he compared the training abilities of Noel Murless, Vincent O’Brien and Henry Cecil.The Lester-Murless partnership was possibly the best ever trainer -jockey partnership in racing history.I would also like to probe into Lester’s split with Murless and then Vincent o’ Brien.
I am also curious of what Lester was like as a human being.Some class his personalty with Clint Eastwood.On the saddle he could be as ruthless as ever.To me,Piggott had to be some kind of a mercenary instead of a gentleman ,to climb the ladder.This was illustrated in his falling out with Murless after 1960 to ride only top class horses of stables.
The blots in Lester’s career were possibly his riding of Nijinsky in the 1970 Arc where he literally made his mount have too much to do at the end and jockeying off Bill Williamson to ride Roberto in the 1972 Derby.
Lester may well rank amongst the 5 or 10 best ever sportsman .
The only jockey Piggott can be compared with is Fred Archer.
It is obviously difficult to know how good Archer was, given how long ago he rode and how different racing was then.
However, he rode an incredible 2,748 winners in a career which only lasted for 17 years before his tragic early death. This included 21 classic winners.
Archer absolutely dominated the Turf in his lifetime, rather like Piggott did a century later. He was one of the great stars of the Victorian Age. Only WG Grace would have been a better known sportsman.
Archer really deserves a better memorial than a not very high profile Listed race on the July course named after him and a slightly unkempt, scarcely visited grave in Newmarket cemetery.
@Cork All Star What about Gordon Richards,Frank Dettori, Steve Cauthen and Pat Eddery?
All great jockeys of course.
Richards rode the most winners in the UK and was very famous as well. However, he did not ride abroad very much and his record in big races is not as good as Piggott or Archer.
Steve Cauthen is still my personal favourite Flat race jockey. When he rode over here, I believe he was better than Piggott at the time (I think Lester was at his peak in the 60s and 70s).
Dettori is the only jockey to acquire a level of fame akin to Piggott since – but I do not believe he is as great a jockey. I do not have any stats to back that up, just personal opinion. I also find his attention seeking behaviour somewhat grating.
Reading Lester’s obituary by John Berry in “Thoroughbred Daily News”, I was intrigued by this statement:
“This human enigma who was more revered for his reserve than anyone ever could be loved for volubility.”
I wonder who Mr Berry might have in mind?
“The only jockey Piggott can be compared with is Fred Archer.”
Completely agree.
Archer’s 2,748 winners came at 34% – an astonishing percentage in any day and age. He broke 200 winners per season 8 times, second only to Gordon Richards who achieved this figure on 12 occasions. Kieren Fallon rode a double century 4 times and, as far as I can make out, these three riders are the only jockeys’ championship winners to beat that figure on more than one occasion.
As Cork has pointed out, Archer rode for only 17 seasons. He was champion jockey for the last 13. Give Archer another 10-15 years and Piggott’s 30 classics and career total of 4,493 winners in GB would not have been enough to overhaul his numbers.
Archer rode at a time in which evening meetings did not exist, thereby giving him no opportunity to ride at more than one meeting per day. Plus, the only viable form of travel was by train whereas Richards had the motor car as an option, as did Piggott who later also benefitted from air travel.
Comparing sportsmen from different eras is fraught with difficulty but on the whole Archer gets my vote over Piggott.
It’s a game of opinions, and mine is that Steve Cauthen just had the edge on him.
Just as strong*, slightly better judge of pace, sustained success on both sides of the Atlantic.
But I can quite understand why others would have a contrary view – Lester Piggott was a great jockey.
*Steve Cauthen gets Oh So Sharp up on the line to win the 1985 1,000 Guineas. Lester Piggott was riding Bella Colora.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Im surprised your even having a vote on it. Steve cauthen was a great judge of pace from the front due to his usa background but for race riding and positioning of a horse lester has no equal. The ali of racing imho and the fact that so many tried,and failed,to imitate him says it all . His rides on alleged in the two arcs and sagaro in the gold cup are utter poetry.
@mickeyjp Well analysed.Totally with you.Why do you feel Lester did not win the championship title more often?
Like frankie these last few seasons he wanted to used the small races as preps for the big ones. To do what he did in the breeders cup was breathtaking. He must have somehow kept in shape to a very high degree when inside. As everybody has said he had an unvelievable aura about him. I am watching the last dance series again featuring michael jordan and lester had that same vibe. Frankie is a cool jockey who makes very few mistakes but doesnt intimidate other jockeys with his prescence. The greatest compliment he has been made is by his fellow jockeys who said they had to improve markedly to beat lester. In a time of overhyping of everything i can safely say he is the best in my very long lifetime. I defy anybody to say his ride on sagaro or john cherry werent just superb.
Just as comparing horses from different eras is extremely difficult , the same in my
opinion , is the case when comparing sportsmen.
I cannot compare him to Richards et al , as I never saw them ride day in , day out.
I have followed racing since the 1970s though , and the only jockey in that time , that I would put in the same category as Piggott , is Pat Eddery.
Sadly now , neither are longer with us. R.I.P. to both. True greats of the turf !.
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