Willie Carson, Lester's great rival for 3 decades, was always reluctant to praise Piggott when they were riding but when the great man died Willie was probably the most upset of all his fellow jockeys. They had some fantastic battles and at times I had the feeling there was no love lost between them yet when they both retired Willie was always the first person to tell everyone how good Lester was. Great video.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes The Older they got the more friendly they became for sure.
@RO-uf9ii4 ай бұрын
I remember mid 80s Lester struck Willie across his back with his whip as they crossed the winning line. Willie had beaten Lester by a nose, and turned to him and said something ‘’ beat you again”, Lester told the stewards 😮🥴🏇. Two wonderful pilots.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@RO-uf9ii That’s a Great Story
@davidrobinson27764 ай бұрын
@@RO-uf9ii The day Lester died Willie was holding back the tears in an interview on The Racing Channel. It was as if part of his life went with Lester. As you said, they were two great pilots.
@RO-uf9ii4 ай бұрын
@@davidrobinson2776 Ahh bless Willie
@frizzle10020004 ай бұрын
Thanks for this great post! Of all those that have received a Knighthood for various reasons, IMHO it remains the biggest travesty that Lester didn't get that honour, after having dedicated so much of his life to The Sport Of Kings.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes it’s a disgrace.
@kevinsynott43804 ай бұрын
He was regarded as having STOLEN from qe2. So no knighthood
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@kevinsynott4380 Yes that’s worse than Murder in their eyes unfortunately
@ronniemurtagh17864 ай бұрын
Another fantastic video, I am really enjoying your channel, brings back a lot of memories!!
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoy it Ronnie.
@mikebarry24614 ай бұрын
Enjoyed this.many thanks 😉
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@eirenuaireland Thank you so much.
@ChristopherFraser-o2p4 ай бұрын
You can compare jockeys from different decades but Lester will always unquestionably be the G.O.A.T 👍🏻
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Without question
@zafonic59654 ай бұрын
True legend love seeing the old footage
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it.
@wacmedia4 ай бұрын
Vincent and Lester, no one to touch them. Thanks
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Great Combination
@Kevin-lf4xx4 ай бұрын
The greatest of them all.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
100 PC.
@BugleCoops4 ай бұрын
The 'Long fellow' was certainly unique, his instinctive talent was matched only by his ruthless determination, in and out of the saddle.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes Lester would win at any price.
@turbosnail1593 ай бұрын
Hard as nails our Lester
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Yes a Legend of a Guy.
@8ballphil1504 ай бұрын
The GOAT of flat racing . Made me a few bob in the 70s and 80s .
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes The Maestro.
@paulyeomans8504 күн бұрын
I'm 70.The best I've seen.
@HorseRacingLegends4 күн бұрын
Yes me too and by a long way.
@surpenc4 ай бұрын
I rode work few times with Lester. What an honour.Stitched me up though 😅 but I wasn't only one
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
That's awesome! That memory will last forever.
@gurney29314 ай бұрын
A true legend.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Agreed.
@BarryWalker-r2b4 ай бұрын
Best ever
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Without Question
@Nijinsky262 ай бұрын
Happy Birthday Lester❤ Remember Remember the 5th of November 🥳
@HorseRacingLegends2 ай бұрын
The Maestro unequaled amongst Jockeys.
@martinmorgan52003 ай бұрын
Lester was a legend
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Agreed.
@NickOToole-jb6dm4 ай бұрын
Most people in Racing knew something about Lester, but hardly anybody knew very much! Even his fellow Jockeys never got past only the superficial knowledge of him. Such was his aloofness which added to his mystique, Lester was always his own man he never cared what anybody said or taught about him he seldom complained just got on with what he did best always riding to Win thats why the general public adored him! Lester was a legend who became an ICON we will not see his like again
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
In my opinion the Greatest Sportsman of all time
@andrewogrady81174 ай бұрын
Greatest of them all by a country mile
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Without a shadow of a doubt.
@stewartmcdermott65763 ай бұрын
Piggott was brilliant, he was as good as the horse they both didn't talk. And got the job done. Like the man says.
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Agreed.
@johndonnelly31354 ай бұрын
In my lifetime there’s been 3 sporting icons, Muhammad Ali, Pele and Lester Piggott.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Great Shout John.
@JonfitzFitzjohn-k6s4 ай бұрын
Simply the Best Ever i Remember him taking the French Jockey,s Whip in Mid Race Simply the Best Ever ❤
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes that was brilliant from Lester.
@ronaldbarnes33273 ай бұрын
Is that a figure of speech? Sounds illegal. What happened?
@PRDIGM3 ай бұрын
His cousin Fred Rickaby went to South Africa and became a vey successful trainer winning all the major events in the country multiple times.
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Thanks for that information much appreciated
@PRDIGM3 ай бұрын
@@HorseRacingLegends that should be cousin not uncle.
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Thank you.
@clivebevan52964 ай бұрын
Legend
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Agreed.
@user-wm7mp2fl1p3 ай бұрын
I am yet to see a jockey driving a fading horse half a furlong from the winning post and beating the field with the WIND SCREEN WIPER method of pushing and whipping the horse simultaneously I was never so amazed at such a feat for Lester Piggot will be in my memory as long as I live end of story
@keithgoodrick-meech39214 ай бұрын
You can only look on and admire such people, special and unique. Wantage should be proud of probably their greatest son. And don't forget that the nearby Lambourn is known for jump racing 😉.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes that’s right.
@1950sTeddyboy3 ай бұрын
Great Jockey who ,knew more about racing than anyone. On his comeback he could have had his 10th. Derby Win. He rang Trainer & Owner to say he was willing to ride their Horse in Derby. But unusually they stuck with their own Jockey & Horse Won. ( Maybe they thought Lester to old then. But at least Lester realised what Horse would win !!!!!!
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Yes The Best Jockey ever.
@darrellirwin84124 ай бұрын
The ap McCoy documentary, is like this 1 sporting greats
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
AP McCoy Documentary Racing Legend. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn_RZqGjmJ6jfNU
@darrellirwin84124 ай бұрын
Could you put up the ap McCoy documentary, that is good as this documentary
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Im sure I’ve got on.Will Check.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@@darrellirwin8412 AP McCoy Documentary Racing Legend. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn_RZqGjmJ6jfNU
@1950sTeddyboy3 ай бұрын
Cannot imagine how he dealt with Prison. Being a man up & out most of day riding or being involved with Horses.
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Yes he should never have been sent to prison
@1950sTeddyboy3 ай бұрын
@@HorseRacingLegends Yes I have always thought he took the Fall for himself & many others in Racing
@leecash97674 ай бұрын
Hugh McIlvanney on Lester Piggott - "A volcano trapped inside an iceberg"
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Hugh was World Class.
@ronaldbarnes33273 ай бұрын
Love it!
@frankryan7823 ай бұрын
I still think never say die was the best derby winner he rode. As far as I know the horse still holds the record for the longest winning distance of the st ledger. . Lester couldn't ride it in the ledger because he was banned. . What made him was fearless riding and belief in himself, today we have jockeys that have no game plan in a race and they all want to hold up horse's at the back..
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Fair comments and thank you so much for that.
@rohansrider4 ай бұрын
Oct 1970, Longchamp, Paris. Le Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. Nijinsky went there as favourite; he had had a long , hard season. After the St Leger he was tired ,had ringworm and Lester knew that he was not right.Sensible connections would have retired the horse ,he was unbeaten and best of all , he had won the Triple Crown. But as we all know, he got beat by Sassafras. Then the whole business left a bad taste when again the connections got it wrong, and entered an over the top horse in the Champions Stakes. A tired Nijinsky struggled and Lorrenzacio did him. I blame the owners, Piggot knew the horse better than anyone.If only they had listened.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes he came to win The Arc but swerved badly left in the closing stages.
@rohansrider4 ай бұрын
@@HorseRacingLegends Such a shame. One race too many. The last horse to win the St Leger and the Arc in the same year was Ballymoss? Not sure.
@keithgoodrick-meech39214 ай бұрын
And to think that these days kids call footballers and pop stars heroes. 😂😂😂😂😂
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes it’s unbelievable really.
@keithgoodrick-meech39214 ай бұрын
@@HorseRacingLegends I remember when Rob Burrows died and people suggested that it's not often that you see someone so special die, i think that Lester is in the same category.!! RIP Lester 🙏. A true English hero, in the same vain as Churchill, Barnes Wallace, Guy Gibson, Montgomery, Paddy maine, Malcolm Campbell, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@@keithgoodrick-meech3921 Yes I would put Lester up there with any Sportsman that’s ever lived.
@davidmcmahon52344 ай бұрын
Legend in his own lifetime l mean to come back and win on royal academy in America was fairytale tale absolutely incredible it was the greatest 😊
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@davidmcmahon5234 Yes he was always going to win once he wound him up.
@johnedwards21174 ай бұрын
Pat rode more championship s and group winners
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Yes Pat was an amazing Jockey John.
@darrellirwin84124 ай бұрын
I don’t who will match lester
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Can’t ever be done.
@katewild21944 ай бұрын
Lester was only interested in Lester.
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
That’s what it takes.
@ronaldbarnes33273 ай бұрын
I thought that only applied to Trump.
@katewild21943 ай бұрын
@@ronaldbarnes3327 This is how stupid he was the tax man came after him and he had to declare where all his money was the tax man fined him and what does he do? paid the fine from an account that he had not declared which ended in him getting a prison sentence.
@ronaldbarnes33273 ай бұрын
@@katewild2194 Thanks Kate. Do you know how long he served?
@katewild21943 ай бұрын
If I remember right he got 3 years and did 18 months
@henrykerswell3 ай бұрын
Treated shamefully by royalty.
@HorseRacingLegends3 ай бұрын
Yes I agree.
@Kevjohno4 ай бұрын
from pathe news to sky sports calling his racers
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
Longevity
@Kevjohno4 ай бұрын
@HorseRacingLegends when I thought of it like that it done him justice .great videos
@HorseRacingLegends4 ай бұрын
@@Kevjohno Thank you so much.
@johndonnelly31353 ай бұрын
Lester is without a peer and sadly the Derby is no longer the greatest race in the world.