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Lester captivating as ever as audience is treated to 60 years of Classic history

Peter Thomas heads to Newmarket, where Lester Piggott is a special guest

Lester Piggott in the Gods of Sport exhibition room at the Heritage Centre, Newmarket
Lester Piggott in the Gods of Sport exhibition room at the Heritage Centre, NewmarketCredit: Edward Whitaker

It's not a simple act to pull off, least of all for a partially deaf 81-year-old man with a reputation for social reluctance, but Lester Piggott appears utterly at home in the presence of greatness.

All around the room, in matter-of-fact monochrome framed by unequivocal white walls, legends look down at the mortals gawping below. There's no disdain, just the singular aura of those who inhabit a world to which we freely accept we have access merely as spectators.

Muhammad Ali paws at the air like a playful bear with malign intent; Ayrton Senna sits and waits, in his peaceful zone amid the frenzy of the grid; Georgie Best, Seve, Gods of Sport all, preserved through the lens, reminding us at once of our finest hours and our sorry limitations.

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