Never Say Die (horse) 33/1 outsider in a field of twenty-two runners for the Derby. According to some accounts, he would have started at even longer odds if his memorable name and the publicity attracted by his eighteen-year-old jockey Lester Piggott had not made him a popular choice with many members of the public. The colt was always well-placed and was sent into the lead early in the straight by Piggott. He won comfortably by two lengths from Arabian Night and Darius. Clark was ill in New York hospital and unable to attend the race, which saw Never Say Die becoming the first American-bred
Desirable (horse) the same distance at Ascot Racecourse. Ridden by Lester Piggott she stayed on well in the closing stages to win by two lengths from Rocket Alert. In August she was stepped up again for the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse in which Steve Cauthen rode the filly for the first time. She was beaten two and a half lengths into second place by the Henry Cecil-trained Prickle (ridden by Piggott), with the Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Chapel Cottage in third and Pebbles in fourth. Hills reportedly felt that the filly had been unsuited by the slow pace. On