Dick Francis - Lester: The Official Biography
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- Book:Lester: The Official Biography
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- Publisher:Michael Joseph Ltd
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- Year:1986
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(1987) *
Dick Francis
Contents
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Author's Note
THE Appendices to this book (too extensive to include in this e-book version) are the work of Dorothy Laird, who for her own pleasure kept records of Lester's wins (and those of other jockeys) for very many years.
I am most grateful to her for offering me the use of them as they have proved invaluable throughout. She also willingly searched for obscure details whenever I asked, and checked all my facts and _ read the proofs.
Dorothy Laird is the distinguished author of authorised biographies of the Queen (How the Queen Reigns) and of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Her next authorised biography will be of Princess Anne. She has written also a deeply researched history of Ascot racecourse.
There is no bibliography for this book as it has been written from prime sources.
I read only a 36-page booklet by Charles Fawcus, "The Classic 28", finding it very helpful with chronology.
List of Illustrations
1. Lester as a small boy
2. Lester with his mother
3. Zucchero wins the 1953 Coronation Cup (Sport & General)
4. The last hurdle at Sandown, 1953
5. Lester after winning the 1954 Derby (Photo Source/Keystone)
6. The Queen leads in Carrozza (Sport & General)
7. Petite Etoile after her Oaks win, 1959 (Sport & General)
8. Park Top after winning the 1969 Coronation Cup (Sport & General)
9. Sir Ivor exercising at Epsom (Press Association)
10. Nijinsky wins the St Leger (Gerry Cranham)
11. Lester in a driving win at Goodwood (Gerry Cranham)
12. Lester with Maureen and Tracy, 1969 (Daily Express)
13. Maureen grown up (The Sun)
14. Lester on Roberto (Sport & General)
15. Lester after Empery's Derby win, 1976 (Sporting Pictures (UK))
16. Lester wins by a head (All-Sport/Trevor Jones)
17. The Queen with Lester at Ascot (Bernard Parkin)
18. Lester parades Alleged before the 1977 Arc de Triomphe (Gerry Cranham)
19. Lester after the 1979 Derby (Bernard Parkin )
20. Popsi's joy wins the 1980 Cesarewitch (Bernard Parkin )
21. The Queen Mother with Lester (Doug McKenzie)
22. Lester on Moorestyle (Sporting Pictures (UK))
23. The author and Lester, Penang 1980 (Mary Francis)
24. Lester and Susan, Penang (Mary Francis)
25. The winning British team, 1981 (Sport & General)
26. Lester wins on Cajun, 1982 (Gerry Cranham)
On Miramar Reef (Bernard Parkin)
28. The family man (Daily Mirror)
29. Lester's 29th and final Classic win, 1985 (Gerry Cranham)
30. Bairn at Royal Ascot, 1985 (Bernard Parkin)
31. Commanche Run wins the 1985 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (Gerry Cranham)
32. Lester arrives at Nottingham for his final day's racing (Sport & General)
33. The autograph queue (Sporting Pictures (UK))
34. Lester's final win (Sport & General)
As a fourteen-year-old at Newbury
36. The man he became (Gerry Cranham)
37. On Newmarket Heath, December 1985 (Laurie Morton)
The author and publishers wish to thank all those who have supplied photographs for this book. In some cases, it has not been possible to ascertain the copyright and it is hoped that such omissions will be excused.
Introduction
THE trouble with being a genius is that to yourself you are not. You are you, a familiar identity, understood. Genius is perceived by others, but not from the inside out.
To Lester, being Lester is normal. A prosaic fact of existence. Nothing to get steamed up about. To everyone else, the idea of being Lester is incredible.
Genius is something beyond ability, beyond talent, beyond learning. Genius is the plus factor which turns admiration to a lump in the throat and leaves you wondering why your own feet are forever stuck in treacle.
To watch Lester switch a horse to the outside, set it running and take it to the post with a length in hand, to see the inward smile with which he acknowledged his mastery privately to himself, this was to see in action the same sort of total professional understanding that has moved every other creative or interpretive genius since history began.
There is a tendency to revere most those manifestations of genius which leave visible objects to posterity, like buildings, paintings, inventions, books. In all bygone ages, other achievements have had to rely for immortality on a combination of factual records and convincing eye-witness reports, and genius which expressed itself physically -voice, personality, muscular skill-had largely to be taken on trust. The Electronic Age of the twentieth century has changed all that, and performers have come into their own at last.
Electronics arrived too late to give substance to the legend of Fred Archer, and came barely adequately in time to do justice to Gordon Richards, but they have done Lester Piggott proud. The films of his races are there for ever and, although we now may take this for granted, just think how fascinating it would have been had we been able to see a screening of Diomed winning the 1780 Derby.
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