The James Bond of Racing

By Harley Walden

Harley Walden

In this new age of photogenic and PR conscious sport personalities, Lester Piggott would have been very much the odd man out.

It is unlikely he would have had any interest whatsoever in the brave new world of social media, preferring to write his own headlines from the saddle.

With that icy glint in his eye which thrilled punters and terrified his rivals, this was a man totally obsessed with the winning of horse races.

At his spiritual home, Epsom Downs Racecourse, nothing before or since has matched the sight of him coming out of Tattenham Corner and picking off the leaders one by one in the home straight.

English jockey Lester Piggott

He turned 80 last November, Lester is one of the few sportsman who can be recognised by just his first name.

He dominated his sport like no other.

He first rode in public at the age of 12 and finished his competitive career at the age of 59.

This extraordinary individual rode winners across six decades, became champion jockey 11 times and rode a record 30 Classic winners.