THE LANARK SILVER BELL

By S J King (First published in 'Now You Know!' 1999)

The "Silver Bell" is one of the most ancient Racing Trophies in Britain, yet its origins are disputed. The 'Bell' disappeared without trace for many years. It was re-discovered in 1836 in Lanark Town Council's vaults when they were in the process of moving to their new offices in Hope Street.

Many believed 'the Bell' to have been gifted from King William 'The Lion' of Scotland in approximately 1165. If this were the case, the trophy would be the oldest in the world! King William often stayed at Lanark Castle to participate in the local hunt and watch the racing on the moors.

Studies of the various hallmarks on the newly re-discovered 'Bell' linked them to silversmiths dating to the years 1587 and 1599. These do not automatically reflect the date of its actual creation and leaves us with the possibility that the traditional belief may not be unfounded. To my knowledge, it has never been disproved.

The Silver Bell was a highly acclaimed race competed for annually at Lanark Racecourse. The old inscriptions on the trophy suggest that Sir Johne Hamilton of Trabovn was one of the first winners, in 1628, to have their name engraved on such a prestigious prize. Where the trophy was prior to this date, I cannot say. Each year, the winner of the race would be awarded a replica of the original 'bell'. On occasion, for example the winner being a noted dignitary, the authentic trophy would be awarded for the period of that year.

The opening meeting at the 'new' racecourse in 1909 once again ran, 'The Silver Bell', which was duly won by Lord Rosebery's, 'Dandyprat' who was trained by Sam Darling and ridden by Freddy Fox.

The last ever running of the 'Lanark Silver Bell' was in 1977. The winner, 'Border River' was owned and trained by Clifford Watts and ridden by David Nicholls. Mr Nicholls was also the last jockey to ride a double on Lanark racecourse after beating the field in the final race on board 'Mrs Bee' for Eric Collingwood.

Discussions have taken place about the feasibility of re-introducing this near 'Classic' event into the Scottish Racing Calendar. Private debates continue on the subject about whether or not the race, if re-introduced, be run at Hamilton Park. Many traditionalists voice their opinions in favour of investing in the re-opening of the old Lanark Racecourse whilst others agree that the first recognised winner, Sir Johne, would be honoured should Hamilton Park be chosen.

On various occasions, the suggestion has been put forward for the re-opening of the original Lanark racecourse after conversion to Scotland's first all-weather track. In 1994, RAM Racecourses, which run Southwell and Wolverhampton tracks, considered the feasibility of a fibresand track. Unfortunately, the economic climate of racing at that time dictated otherwise.

In the summer of 1978, harness racing began at Lanark. Eight fixtures were secured for the course when a new company headed by Sir Hugh Fraser and a group of Scottish businessmen was formed. There were high hopes of hosting a feature race, 'The Silver Bell', which would be, "the biggest trotting race in Scotland", however, the local council would not allow the historic 'Bell' to slip from their grasp.

*At this present moment in time Lanark Racecourse, to me, looks well and truly past its glory days. Apart from the two Point to Point meetings in February and March, and a few recent harness racing dates, the future of Lanark as a Flat track looks bleak. There are many enthusiasts within the sport who would be only too willing to support the total refurbishment of Lanark as a racecourse. Whether the surface is turf or all weather, the racing fans of Scotland would benefit greatly from any such project.

Most encouraging news, to date, was in August 1995 when it was disclosed that Stan Clarke, Chairman for Uttoxeter and Newcastle racecourses, had discussions with Lanark Council with views to a feasibility study being carried out by his company, Northern Racing Ltd. The future plans would include a hotel and chalets. More recently, though, there have been stories of the development of a fibresand track at Newcastle, but it still leaves us with the conclusion that although Lanark and the 'Silver Bell' may be down for now, they are most definitely not out of the picture yet.

We would like to extend our thanks to the staff of Weatherby's and to Motherwell Heritage Centre, without whose help and patience our research would have been impossible.

* On a recent trip to Lanark (2004), I see hardly a trace of the original track. The stands have gone, the rails have gone, the track has gone. All that bears witness to its previous existence is one small sign post... please keep off the race track.