Lester Piggott returns to Epsom in triumph

Press, 19 June 1986, Page 28

Lester Piggott returns to Epsom in triumph

NZPA England Lester Piggott, who rode his first winner at Royal Ascot in 1952, returned to the course in triumph as a trainer on Thursday. Saddling his first runner at the meeting since turning trainer last year, Piggott won the Coventry Stakes with his two-year-old, Cutting Blade, the mount of American Cash Asmussen, the champion jockey of France.

The 11-1 shot’s shorthead victory was warmly received by the large opening-day crowd and Piggott, top hat and tails, was all smiles in the unsaddling enclosure. The 11-times English champion jockey, master of the one-line response, was in sparkling form: “My only runner at the meeting, that’s a 100 per cent record,” he quipped. Piggott, aged 50, won the Coventry Stakes three times as a jockey and rode well over a 100 winners at the Royal meeting, the showpiece of British racing. Cutting Blade is owned

by Mahmoud Fustok and indeed, predictably, the opening day was dominated by foreign owners. Pride of place went to Sheikh Muhammad of Dubai, who won the St James’ Palace Stakes with Sure Blade and followed up with the 9-4 favourite Bonhomie in the King Edward VII Stakes. In fact, the Maktoum brothers swept all before them in the St James’ Palace Stakes. Sure Blade (9-2) ridden by New Zea-land-born Brent Thomson, had two lengths to spare over the 5-2 favourite Green Desert, owned by Maktoum al-Maktoum, and ridden by Walter Swinbum. He was followed home by the sheikh’s other two runners in the sevenstrong field, Sharrood (92) and Nino Bibia (13-2). Sure Blade, which won the Coventry Stakes last year, had been strongly fancied for the English 2000 Guineas but finished fifth behind Dancing Brave, Green Desert, Huntingdale and Sharrood.

After a sharp struggle

with Green Desert he had no difficulty reversing the form.

The winning trainer, Barry Hills, said: “Sure Blade has not been right at home recently and we have had him constantly watched. But he has won well and after a rest he will probably go for the, Champion Stakes in the autumn.”

The first two races of the annual extravaganza belonged exclusively to Irishman Pat Eddery, who is blazing the trail at the head of the jockeys’ table this season.

Eddery extricated his mount from a great deal of trouble to win the opening Queen Anne Stakes on Pennine Walk (5-2) and then sprang a 14-1 surprise on the filly, English Spring, in the Prince of Wales’ Stakes.

Pennine Walk, winning for the third time in three runs this season, beat the 12-1 chance, Efisio, by one length and a half with the 6-4 favourite Teleprompter, winner of the Arlington Million in Chicago last year, three lengths away third.