Gordon Richards

Sir Gordon Richards was Britain's most famous jockey, who rode over 4,000 winners and was Champion Jockey a record 26 times. After he retired through injury, he became a successful trainer. He is still the only flat jockey to be knighted. In 1942, he won four of the five classic races (the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, the St Leger and the Oaks), but the Derby eluded him until his final attempt, in the week of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, shortly after he had been knighted.