1960-06-16 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1960,

Page

Lester Keith Piggott-he wouldn't THE GREATEST FILLY

celebrate even his Derby victory

By SIMON KAVÄNAUGH

They were celebrating the victory of St Paddy in the Derby Stakes, the most coveted prize on the Turf Calendar. The owner, 78-year-old Sir Victor Sassoon, was beside himself with excitement. His 38-year-old wife, Lady Evelyn, was beside herself with excitement.

It was an occasion that called for a big party. And I was,

with

the

And like Cinderella on stroke of midnight he excused himself and left.

Sir Victor and his wife and their guests made merry

It was not lack of considera- mountains of food caviar, tion for the others that made lobster, chicken and Ice-creant him leave. Ner rudeness.

washed down with gallons of sparkling champagne,

Remained apart

A good time was being had by ali-except one,

The exception was a young man who should bave been doing most of the celebrating, For it was he who had ridden the winner over the most testing and tricklest course in the world on the rolling Epsom Downs,

Yet, amid all the follifications he remained spart; this willowy young man with the sdlen face who dared alone of a glis iced water and a spoonful peas.

Sports Diary

TO-DAY

£

Bowl Colony Championship: Open Pairs HKFC, matches at KBGC PRC KCC, Heerelo, HKCC.

Tennis

Men's "D" Divo: UC CHC 1 HKU V HKCOSA UCC (1) V Kec. Recreio v HKOV CDC (2)

KTGCA. UC V BAT,

Meeting

Hongkong Schools Sports Associa tlon annual meeting, Club Lusitano,

6 p.m.

It was just business. Tough, competitive business the riding of thoroughbred horses for money,

For in racing, the Spart of Kings and bokmakers—a man winning is judged on results, results. And Lester Keith Pig- gott, born on Guy Fawkes day 24 years ago, is judged one the best in the world,

Like a drug

of

He left Sir Victor's party be use there was racing at Ep- som the next day. And racing to Piggott means winners.

To him winners are like a

drug. He has to love them. He doesn't care where he has to go sea-so long -by road, air ‘or

as at the other end there is u home with a chance of winning for him to ride,

winners in Australia, Malaya. South Africa, Greece, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Endia, I. land, France, Belgium and Italy.

Rewards

And if then is nothing in the ofling oversoas during the closed Flat Season in Britain, he will take to steeplechasing with equal tage and enthu- siasin.

search

Always, of course, in of winners.

re-

LESTER PIGGOTT

:

Success has brought its wards. He is in great demand, In retainers alone be nets more than £10,000 a year-twice as much as a Cabinet Minister. In one presents and fees, no knows. But according to racing years as a gossip, in his 10 fully fledged jockey he has saved some £75,000 in cash,

It was this driving force that shot him to the top of his pro- fession while he was ill in his teens

It was the same compelling

low jockers be towers lika a lamp-post. His weight(st 51b) puts him at advantage with top-filight riders of today,

dis-

No trainer would dream of advising one of his apprentices to model himself on Piggott, He has an easy sect on a horse, but he rounds his Boulders and sticks his elbows out. He has good rierves and self- confidence. But his mental reactions are not outstandingly frst

But if ever a boy was bred to be jockey it was Lester Keith Figgott

Family of jockeys

His father, Keith was a well- known and successful jockey over hurdles and fences before becoming a trainer. His grand- father, Ernie Piggott, won the Grand National three times,

His great-grandfather, Tom Cannon, roda 1,544 winners during his career, including the classic Darby and 12 other races, before becoming a great trainer.

And Lester's mother was for- merly Miss Iris Rickaby, sister of that great jockey Fred Lester Rickaby, killed during the last few days of World War I.

To prove that the art of riding winners comes to Lester Pirrott from both sides of his family, his mother twice won the Newmarket Town plate, the only race at Newmarket open to women riders. Yet he has no noticeable sympathy with horses.

To him racehorses are merely vehicles for riding winners.

That's why no one was sur-

EVER TO RACE

TWINKLE TWINKLE

Little Star!

Petite Etolle, the "Little Star" by name but on achievement the biggest

on the Turf today, is seen here winning the Corollation Cup from Parthia and Above Suspicion at Epsom recently,

Petite Etoile has one weakness -she's a devil for ice-cream

By JOHN RICKMAN

Unanimously the wisest heads in racing agreed at Epsom recently that

Aly Khan was right, "She is the greatest filly of all time."

That is £75,000 after paying urge while in the saddle that prised when Piggott walked out It happened just after Petite Etoile, trained on ice-cream and cats, had

super-tax.

earned him a long stretch on of Sir Victor Sassoon's party. his feel soon after winning his first Derby on Never Say Die-

True, he had won the Derby

at the age of 18. He was sus on St Paddy that day. But he for had won the Derby twice before, ponded for six months

on Never Say Die and Crepello. alleged rough rating.

And to Piggott one race is much like another-so long as he is on the winner.

Official rebukes

But it is not money that keeps Pizzoit in racing. He is in bed every night by mid- night. And up at six in the morning to work-out horses. The in-between While other jockeys seçk

time he the sun during the off season, spends travelling from race- Pizzott seeks winners in the course to racecourse-and riding. But that was only one in- cident in a career punctuateï four corners of the earth,

His sole recreation is reading by a series of official rebukes. the Piggott, still at very Westerns or comics. He has No. It is not the money, but

powerful Jaguar

unquenchable will to win threshold of his career, is today owned three the most widely travelled joe- cars. But they were just props that keeps Piggott in racing. key in Britain

for being a jockey. For whether his spectacular on a horse, in a plane or a Apart from

Lester Keith Piggott is at home including car success three Derbys he has sored always in a hurry.

Four D. Jones JONES IS TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE GORILLA MEN .......

BY MADDOCKS

FERDINAND

NOW THEN, GEORGE. TAKE THAT RIDICULOUS LOOKING CREATURE

TO OUR PO.W.

CAMP

BY JOVE. YES, RIGHTY HOOLD (CHAP - VALL DO,

an

Astride a horse he looks clumsy. He is too tall (5ft 6in) for the Job. Among his fel-

POW CAMP.

(PERSONS OUTLANDISHLY WEIRD) DANGER➜➜

YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH THIS YOU

BIG. DUMB APES!

By Mik

The day after Sir Victor's celebration was another racing day. Had he stayed longer he might have missed winning on Petite Etoile In the Coronation Cup.

And that would never do for Piggott,

Sheaffer's

Newest

BALL POINT

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AVAILABLE AT

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Ah! That Food!

That Service! A

That Swissair!

SWISSAIR

Ak of TRVİSLAMU

won the Coronation Cup. She was never off the bit to beat Parthia, last year's Derby winner, by 11⁄2 lengths.

I sald ice cream." Petite buyable at £150,000.

Lester Piggott kept her on Etoile adores Ice cream. As 2 Two famous septuagenarians, the heels of the pacemakers VIP in Noel Murless's Warren Caplain Cecil Boyd-Rochfortį unit a furlong out. Then, so Pince stables, she insists on the and Mr Geoffrey Freer, the to speak, he engaged "over. full treatment, Service before senior handicapper, agree they drive and she coasted past anyone, horse or lad, in the have never seen such a superb Parthia. clable.

Ally.

As soon as she hears the ice ercam man's bell outside the stable yard, she whickers and nags at her boy to get going and quickly.

The style in which she gained her tenth victory in

Faster than Derby

The younger French trainer, Etienne Ponet, who teained Never Too Late regarded Pelle Etoile in speechless admiration.

Major Hall told me that Aly Khan's original plan had been for this dream of a ally to go for the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stalocs at Ascot in de July and then, the Arc Triumphe.

Noel Murless is keen to keep her for racing in this country 12 races argues that she Her time in the Coronation only. He wants to point her at would have won the Derby Cup, WOF twice by another the Ascot race and the Cham- last year easily.

great filly, Pretty Polly, was pion Stakes, which she won last will She has now won over slightly faster than that clocked year. But the decision £80,000 and is probably un- by St Paddy in the Derby, Jest with the Aga Khan,

RE-PRINT NOW READY!

The

HONG KONG COUNTRYSIDE

by

G. A. C. HERKLOTS

NANCY

WHAT A DULL WESTERN--- THE ACTING IS AWFUL

THE SCENERY

IS CRUMMY

AND. THE COSTUMES ARE CHEAP

EVEN THE COWS ARE SECOND-RATE

WHAT DO YOU

MEAN?

22

BRICK BRADFORD

BRICK FIRES THE FIRST SECTION OF THE MULTISTAGED SPACESHIP STARTING THE SHIP ON ITS JOURNEY. TOWARD THE SPACE, PLATFORM A KICKS THE PLANET MAPALNI

IT WORKED! THE

FIRST STAGE IS BURNING OUT! NOW. WE'LL DROP IT HIT: THE REMOTE CONTROL

BUTTON!

WILL

DO.

'THERE!

By Ernie Bushmiller

B

BRAND X

By Paul Norris

AS THE SECOND STAGE FIRES, THE FIRST STAGE PULLS AWAY, AND THE GIANT! SPACESHIP ROARS UPWARD ON ITS BLAZINS COURSE Ada d

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