racing_news/

Lester Piggot Day - Lester Ready To Meet His Fans
21/09/07

Lester Piggott came to Newmarket's NatWest Rowley Mile Racecourse this morning to see the "Lester The Legend" display being assembled in the Eclipse Marquee and to discuss final plans for his big day this Saturday, September 22. He and his wife, Susan, will be hosting lunch for family and friends in the Royal Box.

Lester Piggott Day, sponsored by Victor Chandler, will provide a wonderful opportunity for Lester's legions of fans to pay tribute to their hero on the racecourse where he rode seven Classic winners, the first on Crepello 50 years ago in the 1957 2000 Guineas. Each race is named after one of his Guineas winners and the footage of their Guineas will be shown on the big screen, with the BBC radio commentary of Crepello's victory being played as no TV footage of that race exists.

Lester's daughter Tracy, who presents horseracing on RTE, Ireland's main television channel, is flying in for Saturday and will conduct interviews over the public address from the winner's enclosure with some of Lester's contemporaries who will reflect on Lester's career. Sir Peter O'Sullevan and Peter Walwyn will both be interviewed and it is hoped that Julie Cecil, Joe Mercer, Jimmy Lindley and Bruce Raymond will be others to join Tracy during the afternoon.

Lester's young son, Jamie, will be present and, depending on whether they have to accompany runners elsewhere, it is hoped that his daughter Maureen and son-in-law William Haggas will also be there.

Lester and Sir Peter O'Sullevan will both sign copies of Sir Peter's book "Horse Racing Heroes", in which there is a chapter on Lester. Lester will also sign copies of his own book, "Lester's Derbys". Proceeds from the sale of the books will go to Lester's nominated charities - Racing Welfare, the Injured Jockeys' Fund and Sir Peter O'Sullevan's Charitable Trust. The signing will take place in the Eclipse Marquee from 2.25pm, where the "Lester The Legend" display is located. Proceeds from the sale of the Lester Piggott merchandise in the marquee will also go to Lester's charities, as will the entire £2 admission fee to the marquee.

There will be a souvenir racecard, which contains Lester's own reflections on each of his seven Guineas winners, and the "Lester The Legend" display will feature a series of iconic photos of Lester, as well as some pictures and memorabilia from Lester's own home.

Lester will present a number of trophies during the afternoon, including the one for the big race, the Victor Chandler Nijinsky Handicap.

The day had to be postponed in May when Lester was taken ill in Switzerland.

"The weather forecast is very promising and it should be a fantastic day," said Newmarket's Managing Director, Lisa Hancock. "Newmarket has never staged a day like this before and Lester is really looking forward to it. He's in great form."

Premier Enclosure admission costs £22 (£12 for senior citizens and other concessions) and Grandstand & Paddock £14 (£9 for senior citizens and other concessions), with all accompanied children under 16 admitted free of charge. For more information visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 01638 675 500.

THE VCBET.COM EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF RACING SCHOOLS CREPELLO APPRENTICE HANDICAP

The first race on Saturday is the VCBet.com European Association of Racing Schools Crepello Apprentice Handicap, which will feature 10 promising young riders from across Europe experiencing their first taste of international competition.

"We had hoped for a full field of 15 horses in the race, allowing 3 apprentices from each of the five countries to take part, so it is disappointing to have just the ten declarations," said Newmarket's Director of Racing, Michael Prosser.

"I feel very sorry for the five apprentices who are missing out, but it remains a wonderful opportunity for the ten who are riding. With the greatest jockey of them all, Lester Piggott, presenting the prize to the winning rider, they have a huge incentive to come home in front."

The European Association of Racing Schools (EARS) includes representatives from the racing schools in France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and from both the British Racing School and the Northern Racing College in the UK. The aim of the Association is to provide an opportunity for dialogue on the training of young people in racing and hopefully to spread best practice.

The annual apprentice race rotates each year around member countries and has previously been held at Chantilly, The Curragh, Pisa and Doncaster. It provides an important opportunity for young jockeys to broaden their experience.
THE JOCKEYS

FRANCE
Erwan Bureller 18-y-o. 70 rides; 7 winners. Chantilly/Gouvieux AFASEC school. Apprenticed to Alain de Royer Dupré for 3 years, then Mathieu Boutin and now Mikel Delzangles. First ride June 2005 at Lyon Parilly.

Frankie Leroy 18-y-o. 65 rides; 8 winners. Chantilly/Gouvieux AFASEC school. Apprenticed to David Smaga. First ride June 2006 at Longchamp; first winner 2 days later at Compiegne.

GERMANY
Fabian Xaver Weißmeier 17-y-o. 82 rides; 5 winners. First racing licence: 19 January 2006.

Lisa Krüllmann 18-y-o. 148 rides; 15 winners. First racing licence: 24 February 2006 as apprentice (2004 – 2006 – amateur licence)

IRELAND
Conor O’Farrell 18-y-o. 45 rides; 3 winners. Apprenticed to Patrick Prendergast. First ride September 2006; first winner at Gowran Park in July.

Keiran O’Neill 20-y-o. 70 rides; 2 winners. Apprenticed to Declan Gillespie. First ride October 2004; first winner at Gowran Park in June 2006.

ITALY
Concetto Santangelo 20-y-o. 9 winners. Graduated from racing school: 2003. Apprenticed to Riccardo Menichetti in Rome.

Andrea Deias 19-y-o. 5 winners. Graduated from racing school: 2006. Apprenticed to Laura Grizzetti in Milan.

UNITED KINGDOM
William Carson 18-y-o. 200 rides; 12 winners. Graduated from British Racing School 2005. Apprenticed originally to Clive Brittain and now to Stuart Williams. First ride August 2005; first winner at Southwell in January 2006.

Jack Mitchell 18-y-o. 152 rides; 19 winners (including 4 in Jersey). Graduated from the Northern Racing College. Apprenticed to his father, Philip. First ride February 2005 (as an amateur); first winner at Newmarket in July 2005 (as an amateur).

Lester Piggott Day Postponed 17/05/07

Racing will go ahead at Newmarket on Friday May 18 and Saturday May 19 as scheduled, but Saturday's betdirect-sponsored card will no longer be a raceday paying tribute to Lester Piggott.

Lester, who suffered a recurrence of a heart problem in Switzerland yesterday, is recuperating in hospital in Lausanne and, following a discussion this morning with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Maureen, it has been agreed to postpone the event until the autumn.

Lisa Hancock, Managing Director of Newmarket Racecourses, said: "Lester Piggott Day without the great man present would have had an empty feel.

"Lester was so looking forward to the day, to meeting his many fans and hosting his family and friends at the racecourse. Even as he lay in his hospital bed yesterday he was expressing his determination to be back here for Saturday. That won't be possible, but now, as he convalesces, he can still look forward to it later in the year.

"Saturday will now be a normal raceday and we will be changing the race titles, which had been named after his seven Guineas winners. I am very grateful to the day's sponsors, betdirect, for their understanding about the late changes.

"All the elements that were to have made up the day - a "Lester The Legend" display organised by the National Horseracing Museum, a souvenir racecard, clips of Lester's Guineas winners shown on the big screen, book signings, interviews with racing celebrities, a special presentation to Lester - will be put on ice until the autumn. A very likely date is Saturday, September 22, but we will wait until we have talked it through with Lester in due course when he returns to Newmarket.

"We are just so happy that Lester is OK and is expected to make a full recovery - when we first heard the news yesterday morning we were very concerned indeed. Now we just look forward to hearing the news that he's out of hospital and on his way back to Newmarket where I know he will get a very warm welcome home."

Ed Ware, Chief Executive of betdirect and 32Red, said: "Naturally we are disappointed that we have had to postpone the betdirect-sponsored tribute to Lester on Saturday as we were looking forward to playing our small part in honouring one of the great British sporting icons.

"Our hope is that we see Lester back at HQ very soon and we would like to take the opportunity to echo what all racing fans throughout the world have been saying in recent days and wish him a very speedy recovery."

Lester Piggott Looking Forward to His Big Day
04/04/07

Photos and memorabilia will be on display in a special Lester Piggott exhibition.

Fifty years on from his first 2000 Guineas victory, Newmarket's most famous resident, Lester Piggott, is looking forward to the day being held in his honour on the NatWest Rowley Mile on Saturday, May 19.

Lester Piggott Day, sponsored by betdirect, will provide an opportunity for his fans across the country to honour the greatest jockey of the modern era and to relive those seven great Guineas victories with Lester on the big screen. Each of the seven races on Lester Piggott Day will be named after his Guineas winners - Crepello (1957 2000 Guineas), Sir Ivor (1968 2000 Guineas), Nijinsky (1970 2000 Guineas), Humble Duty (1970 1000 Guineas), Fairy Footsteps (1981 1000 Guineas), Shadeed (1985 2000 Guineas) and Rodrigo De Triano (1992 2000 Guineas), with the footage of those historic victories being played on the screens prior to each race.

"The names of these races will bring back some great memories for me and for many others," said Lester. "I hope that a lot of people will come along to enjoy the day.

"My first Guineas victory on Crepello was obviously very special. He was a fantastic horse and though he only just won, that was the day he first proved how good he was."

A special exhibition, organised by the National Horseracing Museum and sponsored by betdirect, is being put together for the day. It will be housed in the Eclipse Marquee, close to the Premier Enclosure entrance to the NatWest Rowley Mile, but also accessible to Grandstand & Paddock racegoers. As well as incorporating exhibits from the Museum, it will include many photographs and memorabilia from Lester's own home which he is lending for the occasion - the first time that they will have been seen in public.

Admission to the exhibition will be £2, with every penny being donated at Lester's request to charity. There will be an equal split to Racing Welfare, the Injured Jockeys' Fund and Sir Peter O'Sullevan's Charitable Trust, whose beneficiaries include the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.

In the exhibition marquee, Lester will sign copies of his autobiography during the afternoon. He will also present the trophy for the main race, the betdirect Crepello Heritage Handicap.

A souvenir racecard will contain articles on his seven Guineas winners, pay tribute to his career and contain many photos.

"We hope that some of the jockeys he used to ride against and the trainers he rode for will be present on the day," said Lisa Hancock, Newmarket's Managing Director. "It's going to be wonderful occasion and when I saw Lester last week he was really looking forward to it.

"Anyone who likes their football can rest assured that we will have a big screen on the Hyperion Lawn, accessible to Premier Enclosure and Grandstand & Paddock racegoers, showing live coverage of the FA Cup Final that afternoon."

Charlie McCann, Head of PR for betdirect, said: "It is a privilege for betdirect to sponsor what is sure to be a wonderful raceday at the Home of Racing in honour of Newmarket's favourite son and the sport's greatest ever jockey. Lester Piggott remains a British sporting icon and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to play a small part in honouring the great man as we relive some of his great Guineas victories fifty years on since Crepello's narrow success."

Book online for a 20% discount on admission! Premier Enclosure admission costs £22 (reduced to £17.60 if booked online in advance) and Grandstand & Paddock £14 (reduced to £11.20 booked online in advance). There is a £2.50 booking fee per transaction. Visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or you can ring 01638 675 500 for more information.

DOES ANYONE HAVE FOOTAGE OF CREPELLO'S GUINEAS VICTORY?

Newmarket is putting out a plea to anyone who knows of any footage of Lester's first Guineas winner, Crepello in 1957.

"The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 archives do not have anything from the 1957 Guineas - only his subsequent Derby victory," said Lisa Hancock, Newmarket's Managing Director. "We have the BBC Radio commentary to play out on the day, but if anyone knows of any archive footage, we would be most grateful to hear from them."