Lewes Racecourse

  



Happy days at Lewes

Lewes racecourse was situated in what's known locally as Cuckoo Bottom, the track was surrounded by the rolling countryside of the Sussex downs and was some 50 miles or so from London close to the ancient town of Lewes. Lewes fell pray in 1963 to a cessation of finance by the British Racing Board and despite the track administration making gallant attempts to weather the storm following the BRB decision it transpired to be merely a stay of execution. Perhaps predictably the tracks stay of execution was merely a brief respite, the track wobbled along for a further year and one can’t help drawing a parallel with a hangman’s noose being tightened around its neck in the form of insufficient gate receipts and inadequate facilities.

Result of the final race

The fate was finally sealed for Lewes racecourse when the barrier tapes of the starting gate rose at precisely 4.31pm on Monday the 14th of September 1964 for the 5 furlong "Eridge Park 2 yr old Maiden Plate". When the starter pulled the handle releasing the barrier tapes to spring up it simultaneously released a trapdoor that swung open beneath the feet of the old racecourse. Whilst eight runners went to post to start the race only seven actually jumped off to sprint up the five furlong course as Cariad a 33/1 shot ridden by Brian Taylor, decided to take the moral high ground and presumably wanted no part of being one of the executioners of Lewes by whipping round at the start and taking no further part in the proceedings. The execution was swift… It took just 56.5 seconds for the 2 yr old filly Miss Rhondda a 7/1 shot and her jockey Bobby “RP” Elliott to dash up the home straight and get to the winning post first. Only one last act was required now, once Elliott had weighed in it was down to the lucky winning punters to pick up their cash and make for the exit for the very last time whilst the old racecourse desperately and pitifully gasped its final dying breath... as the punters disappeared from view for the last time ever Lewes racecourse finally died and the curtain came down on 200 years of racing at Cuckoo Bottom.



Elliotts first winner ever winner
Dante's Inferno at Lewes

There's an unusual coincidence and a certain irony that Bobby Elliott rode the very last winner at Lewes... some six years earlier the racecourse became a very large part of Elliott's racing career. On the 18th of August 1958  as a young 17 year old apprentice trying to make his way in racing Elliott rode the first winner of his career on Dante's Inferno who was an eight length winner of the Ashdown Handicap at Lewes. One wonders how he felt when he passed the winning post on that final day in September 1964 compared to the sheer elation he must have felt in August 1958 after that first win of his career... one thing for sure it was certainly a fitting way for Elliott to say farewell forever to Lewes Racecourse.





Bobby "RP" Elliott as an Apprentice and in 2011 aged 70 years