The winning jockey's trophy awarded to Lester Piggott after his celebrated ride on Royal Academy to win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park 27th Oc

The winning jockey's trophy awarded to Lester Piggott after his celebrated ride on Royal Academy to win the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park 27th October 1990, in the form of a bronze reproduction of the Torrie or Mattei horse, the Renaissance anatomical bronze sculpture created by Giambologna in Florence circa 1585, set on a green marble plinth with presentation plaque reading ROYAL ACADEMY, WINNER, SEVENTH BREEDERS' CUP MILE, BELMONT PARK, OCTOBER 27, 1990, JOCKEY LESTER PIGGOT [sic], 16.5 by 11cm.; sold together with the racecard signed by Lester Piggott, and a photo of Lester at the signing; a silver photo frame inscribed Racing World Awards 1990, Riding Performance, Lester Piggott; and another framed photo (5 items) Royal Academy was a bay colt (1987) by Nijinsky out of Crimson Saint (Crimson Satan). He was owned by Classic Thoroughbreds Plc and trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien. Having won The Tetrarch Stakes and the July Cup in 1990 he was sent to America to run in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park - which is where the story really begins! Trainer Vincent O’Brien’s regular rider John Reid, and who had ridden Royal Academy to victory in the July Cup, was sidelined with a broken collar bone. The Master of Ballydoyle turned to his jockey of yesteryear Lester Piggott who was 54-years-old, in retirement following a well-publicised prison sentence for tax fraud. Lester rose to the challenge and just 12 days after coming out of retirement headed to New York to team up with the trainer with whom he had shared so much success over the years. In the race, Royal Academy missed the break and the pair found themselves trailing all 12 rivals initially. Summoning a lifetime’s experience in race riding, without any panic Lester and his partner began picking off rivals expending the minimum amount of energy. Royal Academy was still on the bridle but only sixth entering the short home stretch. By the furlong pole they were in fourth and then Piggott unleashed his trademark finish that had set him apart from others in his illustrious career and Royal Academy got up in the shadow of the winning post to edge out Itsallgreektome by a neck. The race commentator exclaiming “Royal Academy does it and a living legend out of retirement 54-year-old Lester Piggott pulls off the upset.” Brough Scott analysing the victory from Lester’s midfield position entering the stretch summed it perfectly for all that had been enthralled with Lester’s horsemanship for so long “somehow you just knew he's going to do it. It’s his simple genius.” In his post-race interview Brough asked the comeback jockey “It’s 20 years since Nijinsky, is it still there for you? Piggott replied “You never forget do you.” Lester is quoted as saying “No moment in my career ever tasted sweeter.”