QIPCO British Champions Series has announced Lester Piggott, widely considered to be the greatest jockey of all time, and Frankel, the highest-rated racehorse in history, have become the first two members of the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame.
Launched to mark the 10th anniversary of QIPCO’s sponsorship of the British Champions Series, the first official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing sets out to immortalise the modern greats of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards.
On the basis of their undisputed status and achievements within the sport, Lester Piggott and Frankel are the first two champions to become QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Famers.
Rod Street, Chief Executive Officer of British Champions Series said: “We are delighted to announce Frankel and Lester Piggott as the very first inductees into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame. The Series showcases the world’s finest Flat racing and there have been no greater talents in our sport than the two which we are honouring today. Along with QIPCO, and the judging panel, we look forward to celebrating racing’s rich history and continuing to honour further greats of the sport through the Hall of Fame initiative.”
An 11-time champion jockey and winner of 30 British Classics, Piggott is considered a living legend of the sport and is still one of the most recognised names within racing.
Nicknamed the ‘Long Fellow’ due to his noteworthy height for a Flat jockey (5ft 7½ in), Piggott’s first winner came at the age of just 12 at Haydock Park in 1948.
In a remarkable career spanning almost 50 years, he rode 4,493 winners, including countless all-time greats of the turf, among them the likes of Nijinsky, the last horse to win The Triple Crown, comprising the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger in 1970.
Piggott, 85, now based in Switzerland, received a specially-commissioned medal marking his induction into the Hall of Fame from afar, due to current travel restrictions.
He said: “It is an honour to become the first jockey – and the first person – to be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame and I am truly delighted to receive this special medal.
“I feel fortunate to have spent many brilliant years riding such incredible horses and I'm touched to see my story so well preserved through this initiative. The Hall of Fame is a terrific concept and something that racing has deserved for so many years. Our sport has such an incredible history and I hope that this provides an opportunity for many others to learn about it.
“It’s only right that Frankel is the first horse to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He did everything so easily and was the best by far during his time. He is the one horse that I wish I could have ridden.”
Jockey Frankie Dettori said: “I’ve managed to win two Derbys and Lester won nine, which is beyond anyone’s imagination. I grew up watching Lester from my TV at home, but I’d never met the maestro until I came to England. It was always such a privilege for me to be in the same race as him. Looking back at the footage of Lester ride, he was 20 years ahead of his time, like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. Some great sportspeople are so far ahead of their time and it took everyone else 20 years to catch Lester up, that was why he was so great.
“He was ruthless. He had such a will to win, he had balance, he had everything. He is the greatest."
As the highest-rated horse in history, unbeaten in 14 starts and with 10 Group 1 races to his name, Frankel is an undisputed modern great who penetrated the public consciousness in a way that few Flat racing horses are able to do.
With the Hall of Fame marking the 10th anniversary of QIPCO’s sponsorship of the British Champions Series, Frankel’s performance in the first ever Series race, the 2011 renewal of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, was astonishing. He and regular jockey Tom Queally opened up a 15-length lead at the halfway stage, eventually winning by a distance of six lengths, the biggest winning margin in the 2000 Guineas since Tudor Minstrel in 1947.
Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Thani, director of QIPCO Holding, recently presented Frankel’s connections with his Hall of Fame medal.
He said: "Watching Frankel win the QIPCO 2000 Guineas 10 years ago was a surreal experience and I’ve not had one like it on a racecourse before. The crowds were on their feet and clapping at halfway - Frankel completely demolished the rest of the field. It was an amazing day. It is absolutely fitting to see such an incredible horse inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame alongside another legend of the sport in Lester Piggott."
Frankel, trained by the late, great Sir Henry Cecil, was simply on a different level and seemed to revel in blitzing his rivals with speed, stamina and an abnormally huge stride pattern. Other notable displays were produced in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012, one of the greatest performances over the mile distance; while his seven-length win at the Juddmonte International at York over the extended distance of a mile and a quarter is widely recognised as his best.
His emotional farewell at QIPCO British Champions Day 2012 came in front of Her Majesty The Queen and a sell-out Ascot crowd, with Frankel fending off previous winner Cirrus Des Aigles to win the QIPCO Champion Stakes, securing an official rating of 141 (which is still unbeaten) and signing off a remarkable, unbeaten career.
Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive Officer of Juddmonte Group, which is owned by the family of Frankel’s late owner Prince Khalid Abdullah and is where Frankel currently stands, said: "On behalf of Prince Khalid’s family, for Frankel to be the first to be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame is testament to Prince Khalid’s passion and vision for the thoroughbred. It is his legacy that Frankel should be the first horse to be recognised, alongside Lester Piggott, who rode Prince Khalid’s very first winner, Charming Native, to victory at Windsor in May 1979.
“Everyone at Juddmonte is delighted to be a part of this exciting new venture for British racing and thanks Sheikh Hamad and Sheikh Fahad of QIPCO for their generous partnership with this prestigious accolade.”
Frankel’s jockey, Tom Queally, said: “I’m pleased that Frankel’s unblemished career has been acknowledged by the new Hall of Fame initiative, and I’m especially delighted that he is the first racehorse to be given the accolade. I will always fondly remember the moments I spent with him."
Achieving a place in the Hall of Fame is expected to become one of the highest accolades within the sport, reflecting extraordinary achievements and contributions to British Flat racing, while providing a reason to celebrate horseracing’s most famous stars.
Launching ahead of the start of the QIPCO British Champions Series, which commences with the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket (1-2 May), the next inductions will take place ahead of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 16 October, when Lester Piggott and connections of Frankel will also attend as Guests of Honour.
On Lester Piggott...
“He was totally dedicated to riding winners, totally disciplined to keeping his weight down. His work ethic was unbelievable, my sister and I, by watching him growing up, inherited that work ethic. His longevity was incredible, he rode his first winner when he was 12 and his last winner when he was 59. He was at the top, if not very close to the top, of his sport for that length of time and that’s pretty remarkable. He was a great example of how a sportsperson should conduct themselves and be the best at what they’re doing.” Maureen Haggas, daughter of Lester Piggott
“He’s been revered throughout my lifetime as the greatest jockey there has ever been. My generation still sees him as an icon of the sport. The generation beyond me still treat him like he was a god. Every time I go racing, I still get asked how my father-in-law is. That says it all really. He’s absolutely the right choice to be the first human being to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.” William Haggas, racehorse trainer and son-in-law of Lester Piggott
“Lester Piggott was the only true genius I have ever been close to. For if talent is the ability to achieve what others aspire to, genius is doing what others would not even dream of. We are lucky to have walked in his shade - even if we never knew what he would do next!” Brough Scott, Racing Journalist and Hall of Fame Judging Panel
“There are few people in world sport whose name both instantly identifies their sport and also suggests their mastery of it. Lester Piggott is one such person. He redefined the art of race-riding and set a benchmark of excellence over many decades. He is the standout candidate to be the first person inducted into British Flat racing’s Hall of Fame.” Alan Byrne, Editor-in-Chief of the Racing Post and Hall of Fame Judging Panel
On Frankel...
“I’d say Henry would be very proud of Frankel being inducted into the Hall of Fame, as am I. He’d say it was a fitting tribute because Frankel had such a brilliant racing career. It’s been a privilege to have been involved with the horse and it was such a pleasure to be around him on a daily basis with everyone at Warren Place. I always remember Teddy (Grimthorpe) said ‘don’t forget to enjoy it’ and that’s exactly what we did.” Lady Jane Cecil, wife of the late Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel’s Trainer
“It means a great deal to everyone at Juddmonte to have Frankel as the very first horse inducted into the Hall of Fame. This is recognition of the highest honour, it’s an institution which I hope will grow and to have Frankel walk through the doors as the first horse is sensational. Between Frankel’s ears, he had a tremendous will to win. He is the greatest horse I’ve seen in my lifetime, no question.” Lord Teddy Grimthorpe, former Racing Manager to the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, Frankel’s owner
“Frankel is, quite simply, the best horse I have ever seen or expect to see - and, I would argue, that applies to everyone else, too. When winning the 2012 Queen Anne over a mile at Ascot, he unleashed sustained speed for three full furlongs comparable to one of the world's greatest sprinters, Dayjur. Yet later that year, he went on to win the Juddmonte International Stakes over an extended ten furlongs, trouncing Group One winners in an edition conducted at a pace that tested stamina. Visually, I will never forget his QIPCO 2,000 Guineas victory the preceding year. Horses who race that unfetteredly usually stagger home last rather than winning by six lengths. He was a monster.” Lydia Hislop, Racing TV Presenter and Hall of Fame Judging Panel
“To remain unbeaten across three seasons, and through 14 starts in 10 Group 1 races, was not just a testament to Frankel’s own innate ability but to the way his trainer fine-tuned the balance between the horse’s brilliance and exuberance. His legacy is far from known, as his stud career remains at a relatively nascent stage, but on the track he was truly a horse for the ages. Those of us who were able to witness his rise at first hand can only look back and thank our lucky stars that we were racing fans in the days of Frankel.” Emma Berry, European Editor, Thoroughbred Daily News