Keith Piggott

Ernest Keith Piggott, always known by his second name to differentiate him from his father, champion National Hunt jockey Ernie Piggott, was born on 11 April 1904, in Stockbridge, Hampshire.

He rode as an apprentice to Newmarket trainer Bert Lines during the First World War. His first winner, Chuckberry, came on his 15th birthday, 11 April 1919, in the Compton Selling Handicap at Newbury. That initial win came just two weeks after Ernie Piggott, had won the Grand National on Poethlyn.

Keith rode six more winners on the Flat that year, the last of them on an unnamed two-year-old colt by Marcovil out of Laomelia at Worcester on October 31. However, already standing 5ft 7ins and being sturdily built, he was forced to turn to National Hunt racing as his weight rocketed.

He achieved his first important success on Vaulx. Owned and trained by his uncle Charlie Piggott at Cleeve Hill, in the 1925 Welsh Grand National at Cardiff. Vaulx jumped the last fence alongside Aintree veteran Old Tay Bridge, ridden by Jack Anthony, but drew clear on the run-in to win by ten lengths.

His greatest win over hurdles came on African Sister, trained by Charlie Piggott, in the 1939 Champion Hurdle. It was a dramatic victory as the mare appeared to have no chance turning into the straight, but the two leaders, Solford and Bahuddin, both fell independently at the last flight, badly hampering third placed Mask And Wig, who swerved into the 1937 winner Free Fare, bringing him down. African Sister suddenly found herself accelerating into a challenging position, passing the post three lengths of Vitement.

Having won the Welsh Grand National at Cardiff, Keith also had the distinction of riding the very last winner there in 1939 on Grasshopper.

In the Second World War, he served in the Royal Observer Corps: at war’s cessation and after riding around 350 winners under both codes, he set up as a trainer at the South Bank stables in Lambourn.

Keith had never had any luck in the Grand National, failing to finish in five attempts and missing the chance to ride the 1931 winner Grakle when breaking a thigh just days before the race. But he found rich recompense for those earlier disappointments when saddling Ayala to win the 1963 race at 66/1 for the well-known society hairdresser ‘Teazy-Weazy’ Raymond.

That victory made him leading trainer for the 1962/63 season despite having only trained six winners. This was the lowest number of winners ever to have secured a trainers’ championship, a factor partially due to the sever winter which had wiped out all but one meeting from 22 December until the first week of March, and partially to the value of the Grand National compared with other major races.

After a 30-year career, Keith retired from training and sold South Banks to Barry Hills. He moved to Kintbury, between Newbury and Hungerford.

He died on 15 June 1993, aged 89.

Keith Piggott had a passion for motor racing from Brooklands: undoubtedly this is from where his son, Lester, inherited his own love of speed.

Best wins:

1925: Welsh Grand National - Vaulx

1927: Grand Sefton - Trump Card

1939: Spa Hurdle - Velvet Cushion

1939: Champion Hurdle - African Sister