The winner of the Derby and the Prix de lArc de Triomphe, Mill Reef was an exceptional middle-distance racehorse, though his illustrious career was ended prematurely by injury after registering a record six successive Group One wins.

American philanthropist Paul Mellon bred and owned Mill Reef, who was sent to England to be trained by the young trainer Ian Balding at Kingsclere in 1970. By the stallion Never Bend out of the Princequillo mare Milan Mill, Mill Reef was judged to be too long in the pastern to race effectively on dirt in America.

Mill Reef soon showed in his work that he was a class above anything else in the stable, and he duly won on his racecourse debut in the Salisbury Stakes, a race the trainer had successfully used before as a stepping stone to victory in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, romping home under jockey Geoff Lewis by an unextended four lengths at an unconsidered price of 8-1.

Sent to Royal Ascot for the Coventry Stakes, Mill Reef duly delivered, making all and stretching clear to an eight length win. He was never put under pressure by his jockey, yet posted a time only a fraction outside the track record.

Mill Reef was beaten on his next start in the Prix Robert Papin at Deauville, where a wide draw and a rough journey conspired against him. The Gimcrack Stakes at Yorks Ebor meeting in August was selected as his next target. Heavy overnight rain saw heavy ground on the Knavesmire and trainer and jockey were reluctant to run, but were overruled by Mellon, who had come to see Mill Reef in action for the first time.

Mill Reef was quickly away before being asked to quicken after half way. In a breathtaking performance, he forged further and further clear of his rivals, who included subsequent champion sprinter Green God and Classic winner Kings Company, passing the post ten lengths clear in one of the most memorable performances of his career.

Mill Reef was only a narrow winner of the Imperial Stakes at Kempton, before a busy juvenile season concluded with a step up to six furlongs in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Lewis adopted different tactics here, settling Mill Reef behind the leaders before quickening sharply out of the dip to win going away by four lengths.

The crop of 1968 also included the remarkable Brigadier Gerard and My Swallow, and the three met in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with Mill Reef sent off favourite after a comfortable warm-up win in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury. My Swallow had been equally impressive in his trail at Kempton, and Brigadier Gerard had sparkled on the gallops at West Ilsey.

In the event the brilliant miler Brigadier Gerard made full use of his finishing speed, scorching clear on the rail to beat Mill Reef, who had raced with My Swallow in the centre of the track, by three lengths.

Of the three Guineas principals, Mill Reef was the only one with a Derby entry. Balding adopted the practice of Vincent OBrien with US-bred horses of giving him a gallop over a mile and a quarter10 days before the race, leaving the question of Mill Reefs stamina to be answered on Derby day itself. In the race, Mill Reef showed he was a middle distance horse par excellence, turning in in fourth place and quickening clear to beat Linden Tree and the subsequent Irish Derby winner Irish Ball.

Midsummer beckoned, with the perennial anticipation of seeing the Classic crop take on their elders for the first time. Ian Balding had decided to bypass the Irish Derby in favour of the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown as a prep for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

At Sandown Mill Reef registered a dominant victory over the four-year-old French raider Caro, with the pair well clear of their rivals. On the Esher hill Mill Reef found the most under pressure, quickening clear in the final furlong to win by four lengths in a course record time.

The King George later that month saw Mill Reef put in an even more dominant display, winning by six lengths and prompting jockey Geoff Lewis to say: Daylight was second at Ascot.

The Prix de lArc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October had not fallen to an English-trained horse for 23 years and this was selected as Mill Reefs autumn target. Mill Reef settled in fifth spot under Geoff Lewis before darting through a gap on the rail as the leaders tired in the straight. Mill Reef was soon clear, passing the post three lengths to the good setting yet another new track record in the process.

At the end of the three-year-old season both the official handicapper and Timeform gave Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard equal top. Unfortunately, the two rivals were destined never to meet again.

Mill Reef was sent back to Longchamp for his four-year-old debut, where he skipped clear to a 10 length victory in the Prix Ganay. The Coronation Cup at Epsom came next, but Mill Reef won he failed to quicken in his usual style and had to draw on all his reserves to hold on by a neck from Homeric.

It was later discovered that Mill Reef had raced with a virus, and the Coronation Cup was to prove his last race ” though his record of six successive Group One wins was to stand unbroken until the remarkable Rock Of Gibraltar won seven in succession in 2001-2002. Plans to meet Brigadier Gerard in the Eclipse were abandoned ” the Brigadier won the race ” but a return at York in August was possible. As things turned out, Mill Reef had to miss York after encountering two setbacks in training. Brigadier Gerard suffered his only defeat that day, going down to Roberto.

Later in August, disaster struck. Mill Reef broke his near foreleg in a routine canter whilst being prepared for the Arc. Fortunately, Balding, his team and the vets were able to save Mill Reef, who went on to have a successful career at stud. He proved a successful sire, with 1978 a particular banner year when Shirley Heights won the Derby and Acamas won the Prix du Jockey Club. Mill Reef also sired the 1987 Derby winner Reference Point, the 1981 Derby runner-up and Italian Derby winner Glint Of Gold and the 1000 Guineas winner Fairy Footsteps.

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