Geoff Lewis, rider of Mill Reef, dies aged 89

Geoff Lewis, rider of the great Mill Reef and later a key figure on the Epsom training scene, has died at the age of 89.

The Welshman was aboard the Ian Balding-trained colt when he won the both the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1971, an association that was the highlight of a hugely successful career in the saddle.

Mill Reef also provided victories in the Dewhurst and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with Lewis claiming plenty of other notable prizes including 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 Right Tack in 1969.

Lewis went on to train in Epsom after retiring from the saddle in 1979, with the stable’s Silver Wisp finishing third in the 1992 Derby and Lake Coniston flying the flag for the yard when winning the Duke of York Stakes and July Cup in 1995.

Lewis setting up his stable in Epsom was a return to where his career had started as an apprentice for Ron Smyth, whose yard is now the base of trainer 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,” said Dow.

“He had been in a local care home and had been unwell for some time, sadly he died yesterday.

“He was an Epsom legend, an icon, of course he won the Derby on the great 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 very unusual for good Flat jockeys to go on to be top Flat trainers but he was one of the 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.”