Geoff Lewis, the only Welsh jockey to win the Derby, has died at the age of 89 following a short illness. Born in Breconshire in 1935, Lewis began his career as an apprentice jockey in Epsom after moving from Wales to London, where he initially worked as a pageboy at the Waldorf Hotel.
He rose to become one of Europe's leading jockeys, with his finest season in 1971 when he rode Mill Reef to victory in the Derby. That year he also won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Gold Cup at Ascot, and numerous other top races at Sandown, Epsom, Newbury, Newmarket and Longchamp.
Over his career, Lewis won the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Coronation Cup, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and the Epsom Oaks twice. After retiring from riding in 1979, he became a successful trainer, saddling nearly 500 winners before retiring in 1999.
Lewis later moved to Spain but returned to the UK in 2014 to be near his daughter in Surrey. He died in a care home on Tuesday. Trainer Simon Dow paid tribute, calling him an 'iconic figure' and a 'legendary figure in Epsom'.
