Successful the Derby in 1971 was the crowning second in one of many best seasons ever seen within the saddle.
With Mill Reef he captured the Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris – victories that stay etched within the sport’s historical past.
He additionally claimed the Oaks, the Coronation Cup, the Ascot Gold Cup and the Lockinge, making him just about unbeatable that yr.
Though his household moved to London when he was a boy, Lewis’ roots in Wales have been by no means forgotten.
His journey into racing started on the Waldorf Resort, the place he labored as a web page boy earlier than soar jockey Tim Molony noticed his construct and instructed he strive racing.
Apprenticed to Ron Smyth at Epsom, he rapidly rose via the ranks, driving his first winner in 1953.
By 1957 he was first jockey at Kingsclere, having fun with big-race victories for Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.
Nevertheless it was Mill Reef who outlined him, the little colt who carried a Welshman to racing immortality.
Lewis went on to associate 1,880 winners in Britain, twice ending runner-up within the jockeys’ championship and successful 5 Classics.
After retiring as a jockey, Lewis turned his hand to coaching and located success as soon as extra.
Based mostly in Epsom, his steady included champion sprinter Lake Coniston, who stormed to glory within the 1995 July Cup.
In November 2024, Lewis’ lifelong contribution to Welsh sport was celebrated when he acquired a Lifetime Achievement Award on the Welsh Horse Racing Awards in Cardiff.
Too unwell to attend in individual, his daughter Mary and grandchildren Luci and Alex collected the award on his behalf.
The award was a becoming reminder of his place in Welsh sporting historical past.
