Aidan O'Brien: 'Incredible man' Lester Piggott left unbelievable mark on us all

Aidan O’Brien says Lester Piggott left “an unbelievable mark” on Ballydoyle and the sport following the legendary rider’s death on Sunday.

Piggott, who holds the record for most victories in a career for a British jockey, partnered nine Classic winners for Vincent O’Brien and maintained his link with Ballydoyle after his riding career, visiting the stables each year to see their Classic crop.

O’Brien remembers Piggott being a keen follower of the trainer’s son Joseph during his time in the saddle, kindly sending a gift to O’Brien jnr following his Derby success on Australia in 2014.

Lester Piggott, legendary jockey and nine-time Derby winner, dies aged 86

O'Brien said: “Lester was an amazing man and an incredible jockey who left an unbelievable mark on Ballydoyle and the world of horseracing.

“He used to always come here every year to look at our Classic horses. He'd sit in the jeep watching them all and was a massive help to us. He had great knowledge to share. While he didn't say an awful lot, you always had to listen and take in everything he did say.

'He was an amazing man who left an unbelievable mark on Ballydoyle'

“He rode for us before, including on a filly called Pharfetched for Jimmy and Tom Shanahan in the 1993 Curragh Cup – it was great to have him on your side. He and Dr O'Brien had an amazing association together down through the years.

“Lester was a great supporter of Joseph during his riding career. I can remember him getting a bronze made up of Joseph riding Australia and sending it over to him as a lovely gesture. He was an incredible man.”

Luca Cumani described Lester Piggott as "probably the best jockey ever born" when paying tribute to the man who rode the trainer's first British Classic winner in 1984.

Piggott steered Commanche Run to a breakthrough victory for Cumani in the St Leger at Doncaster and the trainer recalled the legendary jockey as a "great character and horseman".

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Cumani said: "I knew Lester very well for a number of years and it's a fact he was probably the best jockey ever born. He was a great character and had his way of doing things, which didn’t always coincide with what the trainers wanted but more often than not he was right.

"He was a great horseman and could get the best out of any horse he sat on. When he got on a horse, he was at his best and in his own space. Horses did what he wanted them to do and he had a way of making them want to win races.

"Lester was his own man and could be very funny, he had a very dry sense of humour. We got on very well and never had a falling out about anything.

"Commanche Run was my first Classic winner and it's a day that will be really hard to forget. It was a great day and one we cherish. Lester's passing is a very big loss for the sport, it's very sad."

Commanche Run (far): winner of the St Leger for Lester Piggott and Luca Cumani in 1984

Piggott rode a number of stars for owner Robert Sangster during his career, including 1977 Derby winner The Minstrel and 1977 and 1978 Arc hero Alleged, with the late owner’s son Ben sharing his fond memories of the rider.

Sangster said: “Lester rode some wonderful horses for my late dad, from The Minstrel, to Alleged and latterly Royal Academy when he came back to win the Breeders’ Cup and Rodrigo De Triano, who he rode to four Group 1s in 1992. He really was a legend and an unbelievable rider and character. It was a pleasure to have met and known him.

“He was a truly magnificent jockey, he would come up and ride work and he was a legend, an iconic figure. You were in awe of him. He was a childhood hero. It was wonderful to be able to be around him.”

Seven-time Irish champion Flat jockey Christy Roche was a regular competitor against Piggott and described him as “the greatest of all time".

Roche said: “There was a great aura about Lester wherever he went. In the weighing room he was a lovely man, so chatty, but in the public he was more quiet. To us as jockeys, he was a lovely guy to deal with.

“He was unique and without doubt, he's the greatest of all time. He was a fierce competitor, but what a rider. He was fantastic and it was sad to hear the news he had passed.”

Philip Robinson: 'Lester was well deserved to be called a legend and is the best there’s ever been'

Philip Robinson says it is wonderful to be able to say he rode against Piggott and he looked up to the high-profile rider and close family friend from a young age.

Robinson said: “I learnt an awful lot from Lester. On many occasions when I was an apprentice I thought I had the beating of him but when I got to him he had a little bit left up his sleeve.

“He continuously kept winning, it took me years of riding against him but I learnt from him and it really helped me. It taught me if I wanted to go and beat Lester then I too had to have something more than normal, because everytime you thought you had him beat, you didn’t.

“He was a close family friend and a very good friend of my father. I remember when I was a young boy he would come round and visit and play games with me, I’ve got very fond memories of him. It was wonderful to be able to say I rode with him. He was well deserved to be called a legend and is the best there’s ever been. There’s some top people around now but I don’t think there will be anyone who can emulate Lester.”

Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute said: “Lester was a genius on a horse and rode me my first winner, which was Sandal at Newmarket in a tight finish. He later won the Irish Derby on Shergar and the 2,000 Guineas on Shadeed for us when Walter Swinburn was suspended."

Other tributes from the racing world

Bruce Raymond, former jockey
Lester was very generous with his time and was simply the greatest.

Clive Cox, trainer
“He was a legend in his own right and every sense of the word. Condolences are with his family, he was such an iconic character and I’m sure we’ll all have many fond memories.”

Laurence Robertson, MP
"I was very sorry to hear of the sad passing of the legendary Lester Piggott. He was a racing icon, a household name whose fame transcended the sport he graced.

"I remember shortly after I started to take an interest in racing I visited Chester for an evening meeting. Lester had already ridden that day, at York I think, but there he was riding a winner at Chester in the evening.

"As I collected my money from a bookmaker – a rare occurrence for me – I remember him saying to me about Lester 'He’s irresistible, isn’t he.' The bookie seemed almost pleased to be paying me out, simply because he was glad Lester had won, so much was the affection people had for him.

"There have, of course, been many people who have found fame in racing, but Lester Piggott was the most famous of them all. The words Lester Piggott and horse racing are synonymous. May he rest in peace."

Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing
"Lester was a true titan of sport, a one-off who transcended horse racing. To this very day, the top answer to ‘name a famous jockey’, remains Lester Piggott. Enigmatic and reserved, it was on the track he did his talking, with nine Derby wins among his 30 British Classics and 11 champion jockey titles.

"He matched a fiercely competitive spirit with genius horsemanship and was revered by millions. It was only fitting he became the first person to be inducted into Flat racing’s Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame last year. We will be forever grateful for the indelible contribution he made to British horseracing."

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

In his own words: 'It was quite a bad punishment, wasn't it? It was almost inhumane'

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

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