The Liverpool Beatles Museum has a unique connection to Lester Piggott and we wanted to celebrate that as a tribute to him after his passing at the end of May.
Lester was an English jockey who was famously regarded as one of the best jockeys of all time, but he – perhaps unknowingly – also gave the Beatles one of their earliest opportunities to perform on stage.
This all started with Mona Best, who, in 1954, pawned her jewellery to put a huge bet on Lester’s horse Never Say Day to win the Epsom Derby. When, against all odds, the 100-1 outsider road in at first place, Mona used the winning to begin the process of buying her dream home, 8 Hayman’s Green, in West Derby Village in Liverpool. It was in the basement of that house that Mona decided to open her own rock and roll club, The Casbah Coffee Club, which provided the Beatles with a place to practice ad perform regularly, before moving onto Hamburg, the Cavern Club and eventually the world.
“People should really know about the Casbah, it felt like our club” – Paul McCartney
None of this could have happened without Lester’s triumphant career and win at the 1954 Epsom Derby – he truly changed the course of history with his iconic career.
