Piping Lane and John Letts celebrity print 1972

Summary

This concrete footprint and horseshoe was formerly located as a part of the iconic McEwans celebrity pavement. Between 1972 and 1994, scores of celebrities had their handprints and footprints immortalised in cement at the entrance to the McEwans hardware store on Bourke Street. The City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection acquired a number of these impressed concrete slabs from the original celebrity pavement in 2005.

"John Letts (born 1943) rode the Tasmanian gelding Piping Lane (1966-1996) to victory in the 1972 Melbourne Cup. Few top jockeys could meet the 48kg weight requirement allotted to Piping Lane, so the lightweight Letts, from Adelaide, was given the ride. It was the first time he’d ridden on the Flemington course. Piping Lane won the Cup at bookmakers’ odds of 40/1, but the win paid 68/1 on the Melbourne TAB, a windfall for once-a-year punters. The Celebrity Pavement horseshoe was (reputedly) one worn by Piping Lane in the Melbourne Cup. For reasons of safety, the racehorse was not present at the ceremony at McEwans." - Robyn Annear, 2023