Racing: Lewis in court over firearms charges

GEOFF LEWIS, who retires from training next month, appeared in court yesterday charged with terrorising a former employee with a shotgun, writes Ian Davies.

Lewis, who as a jockey partnered the great Mill Reef, winner of the Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a firearm with an intent to cause fear of violence.

The 63-year-old is alleged to have caused former worker Mark McElroy to believe he would hurt him with the Webley .410 shotgun on 20 February this year. The Epsom-based trainer also denied a second charge of possessing a firearm without a certificate.

Lewis, looked relaxed as he appeared at Guildford Crown Court, was represented by David Brock, who requested a trial date of 25 October, which would follow further legal discussions with his counterpart from the Crown Prosecution Service, Derek Zeitlin, on 13 September.

On Wednesday Lewis announced he was to retire after finding the past few years increasingly tough. Brock told the court the defendant had sold his premises and was due to leave the country to live in Spain from 1 October. But he confirmed that Lewis would return to this country for the trial.

Judge Bassingthwaighte agreed to the provisional trial date of 25 October and released Lewis on unconditional bail.

n James Eustace is likely to have runners in two big handicaps at York next week - Refuse To Lose and Central Coast. Refuse To Lose has been entered for the Bradford And Bingley Handicap next Thursday while Central Coast could run in the Charter Design Handicap on Tuesday. Refuse To Lose will be joined by Clive Brittain's For Your Eyes Only who missed the Group Three Hungerford Stakes at Newbury yesterday.