The races were famous for the right reasons too. In 1880, one of the strangest results ever recorded happened at Lewes a triple dead heat in the Thousand Guineas Astley Stakes. ‘If that wasn’t enough, there was also a dead heat for fourth place,’ says Chris. In the early twentieth century, Lewes trainers produced some of the greatest horses of the era, including three Grand National Winners (Lutteur III in 1909, Poethlyn in 1918 and 1919, and Shaun Spadah* in 1921). ‘Not bad for a town known for its flat racing.’

Lewes races continued to attract the best jockeys some of whom arrived by plane after the course was shortened by half a mile to create a landing strip! for a few more decades, but the course’s future became uncertain when racehorses started to receive inflated valuations. ‘Trainers wouldn’t risk running them at Lewes because there was no water to soften the ground,’ says Chris. And no water for the horses also meant no water for the punters who could go to other grounds where flushing toilets had been installed. ‘In the end the Levy Board, the body that distributed revenues taken from betting stakes, decided not to give Lewes any more money.’ Within a year, the owners had to call it a day: they could no longer offer decent prize money, which meant they didn’t attract the best horses, which in turn meant the punters went elsewhere. The last meeting was on September 14th 1964.