Idaho odds on for the St Leger

If you get a chance, have a look at Piggott winning the 1984 St Leger on Commanche Run. It was the complete opposite of the ride on Nijinsky - sheer strength from the saddle lifting the horse home. Hard to believe anyone else would have won on him that day.

I felt that the day he won the Derby on Roberto was his greatest ride or maybe Sir Ivor in states ? I had a bit of a bucket shop running in the factory many bets were placed on Rheingold and I put the kitty on the master and had to survive objection, almost lost my Lambretta scooter
It was 1972

So many great rides in top races (Nijinsky, Roberto, The Minstrel, Sir Ivor). My own favourite is Teenoso in the 1984 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Some of Teenoso's better fancied rivals (I think Sadler's Wells went off favourite) had pacemakers in the race, but Piggott gunned Teenoso to the front and set a furious pace on very quick ground which the horse wasn't supposed to like. Most people thought Teenoso couldn't possibly maintain the gallop, but Piggott somehow kept him going and saw off all the closers even though the horse was clearly hating the ground.

HARZAND is set to line up in the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday with ground conditions looking favourable for the dual Derby winner.

RELATED LINKS
Irish Champion Stakes card
Dermot Weld has scratched Harzand from Sunday's Prix Niel, which had been an alternative for the Aga Khan's star colt had the surface at Leopardstown been unsuitable.

The trainer said "The going at Leopardstown and the weather forecast suggest the ground will be safe and the plan is for Harzand and Fascinating Rock to run in the Irish Champion Stakes. Both horses are well and we'll make a final decision before declaration time."

Ground forecast to ease at Leopardstown

Harzand was on Wednesday a top-priced 3-1 chance behind Minding for the Group 1 test at Leopardstown where outbreaks of rain were forecast for Wednesday night and again on Thursday evening,

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said on Wednesday: "I was in Leopardstown this morning and I'd describe the ground on the outside track as being on the easy side of good. The inside track is drier but still good.

"We could get between between three and five millimetres of rain tonight and the forecast is for more rain late on Friday evening. It's hard to know how much we'll get but if the forecast proves accurate I'd expect the ground on the outside track to ride on the easy side of good on Saturday.

"The team at Leopardstown have done a fantastic job. It's beautiful ground - like a carpet."

Latest from the Curragh

Weld has yet to train a winner of the Irish Champion Stakes while Pat Smullen, who rides Harzand, will also be seeking a first win in the event. Frankie Dettori, however, has landed the prize six times, most recently when scoring on Golden Horn a year ago.

Weld said: "Frankie has ridden for me in the past and I remember him just missing out on a Royal Ascot winner for us when Steaming Home was beaten a neck in the Windsor Castle Stakes [in 2001]."

The ground at the Curragh, which stages three Group 1s on Sunday - the Irish St Leger, the National Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes - was changed from yielding to good to yielding on Wednesday.

The racecourse's director of racing Paul Hensey said: "We changed the ground description early this morning and we've had a nice dry day. The ground is more good than yielding on the round course.

"The forecast is a bit unsettled and if there is to be any significant rain in will be some time on Friday. We've been told we could get somewhere between four and ten millimetres but that forecast could change, so we'll have to wait and see."

Sorry I keep going off the thread title however
Steck just found an old video
LESTER PIGGOTT
MY 12 GREATEST RACES
intro by Peter O Sullevan

Never say die
Sir Ivor
Nijinsky
Roberto
The minstrel
Alleged
Sagaros
Moorsestyle
Criterion
Circus Plume
Nicholas
Royal Academy

Great stuff

So Heffernan is riding Idaho, so Moore can ride in the Matron stakes

Makes sense - Heffernan rode him in the Epsom Derby and won the Voltigeur on him at York. He's due to ride Found in the Irish Champion Stakes as well, so I hope he makes it to Leopardstown in time.