Piggott returns to the saddle in Tipperary
The greatest English jockey of all time, Lester Piggott, has sent his only son to the Golden Vale to learn the skills that won him all the great classics.
Jamie Piggott has moved over to the stables of Tommy Stack at Thomastown Castle Stud, near Golden.
Mr Stack, the former jockey who rode Red Rum to win one of his three Aintree Grand Nationals is tutoring Jamie Piggott for the summer months.
Jamie, 15, had his first ride in public at a recent pony meeting in Broadford, Co Limerick.
But he is still waiting for his first winner.
The young jockey said: “We’ll see how it goes from here, but it’s in the genes all right.”
He rides out every morning at the Stack stables and by all accounts is a chip off the old block, style wise.
His sister, Tracey Piggott, the well-known RTÉ broadcaster, said it had been decided to introduce Jamie to racing on the Irish pony racing circuit where many great jockeys cut their teeth.
Jamie is due to have his next ride in public in Kerry at the upcoming pony meeting in Dingle.
He hopes to have a ride in the big race of the meeting, the Dingle Derby.
Tracy recalled that when she first moved to Ireland from England 23 years ago she lived and worked initially at Tommy Stack’s yard.
She said: “I have never regretted a moment since.”
She travelled to the Broadford pony meeting with her daughter Thea to watch her kid brother.
For many years Lester Piggott rode as stable jockey to Vincent O’Brien at Ballydoyle and together they formed the most successful trainer/jockey partnership of an era.
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