'It was quite a bad punishment, wasn't it? It was almost inhumane'
Miss me?
Piggott to the Coolmore team, his former employers, after his replacement Pat Eddery was beaten on El Gran Senor by Secreto in the 1984 Derby
You never forget
Lester after galvanising Royal Academy in the Breeders’ Cup Mile just 12 days after returning to the saddle at the age of 54
That was an unfortunate incident really, that day I thought he was beaten when I took his whip off him. He started jumping about on his horse without a whip and he didn’t drop out, he stayed where he was and finished third.
Lester explains his rationale for stealing Alain Lequeux’s whip during the closing stages of the 1979 Grand Prix de Deauville, action which the French stewards took a dim view of
I think I only had three rides at that meeting and they all won. I was a bit heavy then you know
Lester recalls the 1957 Derby and Oaks double with Crepello and the Queen’s Carrozza
I couldn’t believe it, he was running away
Lester moments after Teenoso became his ninth Derby winner in 1983
I didn't use the whip much on Roberto. I couldn't, the other horses were too close to me. Not until the last 50 yards, that was about all. The Minstrel, I had to ride him hard too. I'd probably have got a week now
Lester reflects on the frantic battle between Roberto and Rheingold in the 1972 Derby, and on changing attitudes to the whip in a 2011 interview with Brian Viner
You could get away with a lot more when I was riding because there weren't so many cameras everywhere
Lester reflects on changes in riding styles in an interview with Steve Dennis
I think the stewards were looking for a chance to teach me a lesson, I'd had four or five bans already and I think they wanted to get me. It was quite a bad punishment, wasn't it? It was almost inhumane
Lester looks back at the six-month ban he received for a controversial ride aboard Never Say Die at Royal Ascot
It seemed easier to say yes. I didn't want to get into a long discussion about it y'know
Lester on the time he replied yes, on being asked if he was Wilson Pickett
That's bad luck for your old man
Lester Piggott to Walter Swinburn, having jocked off his father Walter Swinburn snr on Oaks winner Blue Wind
That's my bad ear, try the other side
Piggott on being asked by a racegoer if he can spare £5
Perhaps you'd better try the £5 ear again
Piggott after the same racegoer asked for a tenner in the other ear
Two weeks ago
Piggott, when asked at what point he thought he'd win the 1969 Washington DC International on Karabas
A massive waste of time with absolutely nothing to show for it at the end
Piggott on the year and a day he spent in prison after being convicted for tax evasion
I've had worse injuries falling out of bed
Piggott to his old pal Sir Peter O'Sullevan after suffering a fractured collarbone, broken ribs, damaged spleen and partially collapsed lung after Mr Brooks's fatal fall in the 1992 Breeders' Cup Sprint
Nijinsky was one of those horses you could win on really easily yet - and this is hard to understand - he never felt as good to ride as he actually was
Piggott on his Triple Crown hero in a 2011 interview with Alastair Down
Do you have a favourite Lester Piggott story?
We're collating our readers' best stories about the great man and will publish a selection at a later date. If you would like to contribute, please email editor@racingpost.com with the subject 'Lester'
Lester Piggott:
Lester Piggott, legendary jockey and nine-time Derby winner, dies aged 86
Obituary: child prodigy who blossomed into a riding legend and statesman
The remarkable facts and figures behind Lester Piggott's career
Lester Piggott Q&A: a brilliant interview with the record-breaking champion
Appreciation: 'His cut-throat mentality was unmatched in the history of the turf'
'He was my idol growing up' - Mick Kinane on his admiration for Lester Piggott
Aidan O'Brien: 'Incredible man' Lester Piggott left unbelievable mark on us all
Racecourse brilliance and quieter moments: Lester Piggott in photographs
'Lester went wrong way round a roundabout to pass me! No wonder he was champion'
Nine Derbys, 30 British Classics and winners worldwide - Lester by the numbers
Published on 29 May 2022inNews
Last updated 10:02, 30 May 2022
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