Geoff Lewis, rider of the good Mill Reef and later a key determine on the Epsom coaching scene, has died on the age of 89.
The Welshman was aboard the Ian Balding-trained colt when he gained the each the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1971, an affiliation that was the spotlight of a vastly profitable profession within the saddle.
Mill Reef additionally supplied victories within the Dewhurst and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with Lewis claiming loads of different notable prizes together with the Stewards’ Cup aboard Tudor Monarch for Sir Winston Churchill in 1959, the Ascot Stakes and the Doncaster Cup aboard Queen Elizabeth II’s Magna Carta in 1970 and 2000 Guineas on Proper Tack in 1969.
Lewis went on to coach in Epsom after retiring from the saddle in 1979, with the secure’s Silver Wisp ending third within the 1992 Derby and Lake Coniston flying the flag for the yard when successful the Duke of York Stakes and July Cup in 1995.
Lewis organising his secure in Epsom was a return to the place his profession had began as an apprentice for Ron Smyth, whose yard is now the bottom of coach Simon Dow .
“Ron was Geoff’s mentor from when he was a 15-year-old boy, so there is a strong connection between all of us,” mentioned Dow.
“He had been in a local care home and had been unwell for some time.
“He was an Epsom legend, an icon, in fact he gained the Derby on the good Mill Reef.
“He was a force to be reckoned with, both as a jockey and as a trainer. For 20 years as a trainer he was extremely successful from Thirty Acre Barn.
“It is extremely uncommon for good Flat jockeys to go on to be high Flat trainers however he was one of many few who made the transition.
“He was part of the fabric of Epsom. People of my age and generation have fantastic memories of him, he was a great character who was also extremely supportive and a friend to everyone in Epsom.”
