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BRITAINS OLDEST RACING TROPHY The royal and ancient burgh of Lanark has the unique distinction of being the possessor of tho old ¬ est racing trophy in the kingdom the Lanark Silver Bell coveted by all sportsmen and competed for by men like Lord Rosebery the Duke of Montrose and many other sporting notables This bell was be ¬ queathed according to the towns records by King William the Lion It Is 500 years older than the Newmarket Whip Englands most ancient trophv Fully four inches in height It has the Burgh of Lanark coat of arms engraved upon it as well as the announcement that it was won by Sir John Hamilton in 1028 Tliere is also to be seen the trade mark of an Edinburgh goldsmith who lived in the reign of James VI of Scotland and I of England The bell was run for until the Com ¬ monwealth when horse racing was suppressed by Cromwell It then disappeared and was discovered in the town councils repository in 1852 and lias regularly been competed for rfince the race being held at the meeting in autumn
