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Lester's legacy
Steven LynchOctober 1, 2014
Lester Piggott won 30 British Classics. Has anyone won more? asked Jamie Field
Lester Piggott's remarkable career tally of 30 Classic victories is indeed the record - he surpassed the 157-year-old record of Frank Buckle (who won 27, the last of them aged 60 in 1827) when he rode Commanche Run to victory in the 1984 St Leger.
Piggott's first English Classic winner came in the 1954 Derby when, aged 18, he came home first on Never Say Die. It was the first of a record nine Derby victories; he also won the St Leger eight times, the Oaks six, the 2000 Guineas five times and the 1000 Guineas twice.
After winning a 29th Classic in 1985 (the 2000 Guineas on Shadeed), Piggott retired to become a trainer. But he returned to the saddle in 1990, and in 1992 - when he was 56 - collected a 30th Classic victory, aboard Rodrigo de Triano in the 2000 Guineas.
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