Lester Piggott: Jockey Supreme Quiz

Answer: November 5th 1935 ( Bonfire night)

Iris and Keith Piggott were both earning their living with horses. Iris (maiden name Rickaby) was from a long line stretching back into the mists of Turf history. Keith rode as a jump jockey between the World Wars with more than 500 winners.

Answer: 12

His first professional ride at the age of 12 was on a horse called The Chase on 7th April 1948 at Salisbury. The horse was trained by his father.

Answer: The Chase

Secret Code was a horse he finished in 2nd place at Chepstow on 31st July.
In his first race he did not trouble the judges, but on 18th August at Haydock Park, he won on The Chase, beating Prompt Corner ridden by Davy Jones. Lester's first of many wins.

Answer: 1950

Berkshire County Council tried to bring in a number of local laws, all of which appeared to be aimed at stopping Lester from horse racing, but from August 1st 1950 and onwards, Lester rode 39 winners in 11 weeks to finish the season as leading apprentice. Lester was also leading apprentice in 1951 with 51 wins in 432 rides.

Answer: Never Say Die

Lester was 18 when he won his first Derby.He was to win another 8 English Derbys. Pinza was Sir Gordon Richards only win in 1953. Zucchero was Lester's first ride in the Derby in 1951, and at the 'off', Zucchero 2 steps backwards. The horse finished well down the field. Tulyar beat Lester and Gay Time in the 1952 Derby. Never Say Day was owned by the American Robert Stirling Clark and would not have been in England at all except for a disagreement between Mr Clark and the American Racing Authorities.

This resulted in all Mr Clark's horses being transferred to Europe.

Answer: Prince Charlemagne

1953-54 was Lester's first season 'over the jumps', and Eldoret was his first win at Wincanton on Boxing Day 1953. His next win was on Stranger at Newbury on Jan 2nd where he beat Dick Francis (who was to write his official biography), and who was riding Deal Park.

Answer: 30

27 was the previous best by a jockey Frank Buckle, and that record stood for 157 years. 9 is the number of times that Lester won the English Derby. The English Classics were 1000 & 2000 guineas, The Oaks, Derby, and St Leger.

Answer: Nottingham

It was on the 29th October and he won the 2nd race on Full Choke. It was at Warwick that the 2 retiring 'superstars' Lester and John Francome, Jump racings long time Champion, met in a challenge race on the flat. Lester won on a horse called 'The Liquidator'.

Answer: true

He served 366 days, and also as a result his OBE which was awarded in 1975 was stripped from him. He resumed his riding career in 1990, and within 10 days of doing so won the Breeders Cup in the USA on Royal Academy.

Answer: Rodrigo de Triano

On the same horse in 1992, Lester also won the Irish 2000 Guineas, the Champion Stakes, and the International Stakes in 1992. Lester won on Mr. Brooks in the July Cup, and Prix de L'Abbeye de Longchamps in 1992. He rode Zimbalim to victory in the Slovakia Derby of 1993, and Lemon Souffle to a win in Falmouth Stakes of 1994.