Legendary jockey Lester Piggott was far from perfect, however to trainer Jim Bolger, he was a 'great friend' and will be sorely missed.
One of the most famous jockeys in the history of racing, Lester Piggott passed away at the end of May this year. The 86-year-old lived a famous life, and was the first person that people would flock to whenever he entered a racecourse.
While he was celebrated throughout his life, there was an infamous side to the legendary jockey too, as he also spent a year in prison for tax fraud in 1987.
However, for trainer Jim Bolger, he will always be remembered as a 'great friend'.
🗣 'Peter O'Sullevan... felt that Lester had missed out on childhood'
Racing writer looked back on the early life of the greatest jockey of all time, Lester Piggott | 🏇
🗣 'He was obsessed with horses from the very beginning, obsessed with speed and obsessed with winning!' pic.twitter.com/cwcmLMOp7D— Off The Ball (@offtheball) May 31, 2022
Speaking on Friday Night Racing, Bolger recalled some of his best memories of Piggott away from horses.
"I always enjoyed his company," Bolger said. "When he got out of prison, I got a phone call off him because I used to write to him.
"He invited Jackie and myself over to his house for a lunch. When we arrived, Lester met us at the door with an apron and a carving knife!
"This was the other side of Lester. He did most of the work. Susan won't be too happy for me saying this, but he was definitely the man of the house. He did everything.
"He served the meal, carved the beed, the whole lot. We had a great time."
However, Piggott was not one to give away his hospitality freely, according to Bolger. A short while after hosting the trainer, Piggott managed to get some return on a trip to Hong Kong.
"Sometime after that," Bolger said. "We went to Hong King with Alexander Goldrun, and we went out on the track early in the morning each day.
"One of the days, after breakfast at the track, Lester came to me and said, 'Are you going back to your hotel?' I said, 'yeah sure'. He asked for a lift and I said no problem.
"I didn't know Hong Kong, but Lester knew it very well. He took me all around the island and dropped him off at his hotel That meant passing my hotel but I wasn't aware of that on the way round with Lester.
"The reason he brought me all around was so that I'd pick up the tab! That was the first and the last time that he caught me for some money!"
