Lester Piggott

Born in Newmarket in 1935, Lester Piggott is undoubtedly the most famous and best British jockey off all time. He rode his first winner at the tender age of twelve, became British champion jockey eleven times and won the Derby a record nine times. His racing achievements can only be described as awesome and there is little doubt Lester Piggott is a Derby Legend.

Piggott amassed over 5400 winners during his career. In addition to the nine Derby Winners he also won three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes, thirty English Classics, 465 Group races (which would have been substantially higher if the pattern had of been introduced earlier) and rode winners in twenty-seven countries outside the UK.

After retiring in 1985, Lester Piggott retired from riding and began the career of a trainer. It was to be short lived however, as in the same year he was convicted of Fraud following an investigation over tax evasion. As well as a two-year prison sentence, he was stripped of his OBE and there can be little doubt it also cost him every chance of receiving a knighthood.

He returned to the saddle for a further three years after serving his sentence, winning further classic success and in October 1990 triumphed aboard Royal Academy in the Breeders Cup Mile. The great career of a great man finished with final retirement in 1990.