Mill Reef
Encyclopedia
Mill Reef was a Champion Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. He was bred in the United States
but was trained in the United Kingdom
throughout his racing career which lasted from 1970 to 1972. Mill Reef won twelve of his fourteen races and finished second in the other two. He was an outstanding two-year-old in 1970, and proved even better at three, winning the Epsom Derby
, the Eclipse Stakes
, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
. He won both his starts as a four-year-old before his career was ended by injury.
He was an exact contemporary of another great British-trained horse, the English-bred Brigadier Gerard who defeated him in their only racecourse meeting in the 2000 Guineas. As the race was over Brigadier Gerard's optimum distance of one mile, the relative merits of the two colts continued to be the subject of debate.
in Virginia
of his owner and breeder the philanthropist
Paul Mellon
. He was a son of Never Bend
out of the mare Milan Mill by Princequillo
. As a yearling it was thought that his action better suited him to a career on the turf
courses in Europe
rather than the dirt tracks in America and so he was sent to England
in December 1969 to be trained by Paul Mellon's young English trainer Ian Balding
at Kingsclere
. He was ridden by Geoff Lewis
in all his fourteen races. Mellon named the horse after the Mill Reef Club
, which is situated on the island of Antigua
in the West Indies. The Mellon family has maintained a home at Mill Reef since its founding in 1947.
As a yearling Mill Reef showed himself to be an exceptional talent. Once, whilst visiting the stables and watching the yearlings being put through their paces on the Kingsclere gallops, the noted former amateur jockey and journalist Lord Oaksey asked, "Who's that?" to which Balding replied, "That is Mill Reef!" and he went on to prove himself to be an outstanding two year old in 1970.
, where he beat the previous winner, and 2-9 favourite, the Lester Piggott
ridden Fireside Chat, by four lengths. He then went to Royal Ascot winning the Coventry Stakes
by six lengths and the decision was taken go to France for the Prix Robert Papin
at Maisons-Laffitte
. After an arduous journey he tasted defeat for the first time by the narrowest of margins, to another exceptional English two year old, My Swallow.
Back on home soil he was entered in the Gimcrack Stakes at York in mid August but, after a torrential overnight downpour turned the going into a quagmire, his trainer wanted to scratch him from the race. However, after discussions with his owner prior to the race, Paul Mellon said, "let him run, I've a feeling it will be alright". Mill Reef put up a dazzling display scampering over the heavy ground to win as he liked by ten lengths from Green God (who was to be crowned champion sprinter the following year). A below par display in his next race, where he beat the filly Hecla by a length in the Imperial Stakes at Kempton
, was followed in his final race of the season when he easily won the prestigious Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
by four lengths.
In a crop of outstanding two year olds Mill Reef was rated 1 lb below his French conqueror My Swallow, who went on to remain unbeaten in 7 races including all of France's top two year old races, and 1 lb ahead of the unbeaten Middle Park Stakes
winner Brigadier Gerard.
at Newbury
, Mill Reef was beaten three lengths in the 2,000 Guineas by Brigadier Gerard who was to prove himself arguably the greatest miler ever, with his old rival My Swallow back in third.
Although his breeding hinted otherwise, Mill Reef then proved himself to be the outstanding middle distance racehorse of the year, easily winning the Epsom Derby
by two lengths from Linden Tree, the Eclipse Stakes
at Sandown beating the crack French colt Caro by four lengths and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot
by six lengths from the Derby Italiano
winner Ortis. I
n October he completed an extraordinary year when he was victorious in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
at Longchamp
in France beating the star French filly Pistol Packer by three lengths.
in April 1972 by ten lengths (though photographs of the finish make it closer to twelve lengths). A summer rematch with Brigadier Gerard, who had also been kept in training as a four year old, was earmarked for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. But after a narrow win in the Coronation Cup
at Epsom Downs
, by a neck from Homeric, he was found to be suffering from a heavy virus and the rematch had to be postponed.
Fully recovered Mill Reef was being trained for an Autumn campaign and a return to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October when tragedy struck during a routine gallop where he stumbled and shattered his foreleg. After a painstaking operation he was saved and, though his racing career was over, he became a stallion at The National Stud
in Newmarket.
, Shirley Heights
, the French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club
), Acamas and the 1987 Derby
winner Reference Point
.
Mill Reef died in 1986 and he is buried within the National Stud where a statue stands in his memory.
, the 6th highest rating ever given for three year olds and above.
The Mill Reef Stakes
at Newbury
is named in his honour.
The following is inscribed on the plinth beneath his statue at the National Stud:
Swift as a bird I flew down many a course.
Princes, Lords, Commoners all sang my praise.
In victory or defeat I played my part.
Remember me, all men who love the Horse,
If hearts and spirits flag in after days;
Though small, I gave my all. I gave my heart.
From Paul Mellon's speech at the Gimcrack Dinner 1970.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and sire. He was bred in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but was trained in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
throughout his racing career which lasted from 1970 to 1972. Mill Reef won twelve of his fourteen races and finished second in the other two. He was an outstanding two-year-old in 1970, and proved even better at three, winning the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
. He won both his starts as a four-year-old before his career was ended by injury.
He was an exact contemporary of another great British-trained horse, the English-bred Brigadier Gerard who defeated him in their only racecourse meeting in the 2000 Guineas. As the race was over Brigadier Gerard's optimum distance of one mile, the relative merits of the two colts continued to be the subject of debate.
Background
Mill Reef was owned and bred in the United States of America at the Rokeby StablesRokeby Stables
Rokeby Stables was an American thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm in Upperville, Virginia involved with both steeplechase and flat racing. The operation was established in the late 1940s by Paul Mellon who won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1971 and again in 1986...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
of his owner and breeder the philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
. He was a son of Never Bend
Never Bend
Never Bend was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and a leading sire in England.-Two-Year-Old Champion:Foaled at Claiborne Farm for owner/breeder Harry F. Guggenheim, Never Bend was the dominant two-year-old racing in the United States in 1962...
out of the mare Milan Mill by Princequillo
Princequillo
Princequillo was a Thoroughbred racehorse conceived in France and born in Ireland. He is known for his performances in long-distance races and his successes as a sire.-Background:...
. As a yearling it was thought that his action better suited him to a career on the turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
courses in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
rather than the dirt tracks in America and so he was sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in December 1969 to be trained by Paul Mellon's young English trainer Ian Balding
Ian Balding
Ian Balding emigrated with his family to England in 1945. He is the son of the polo player and racehorse trainer Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr. and the younger brother of trainer Toby Balding. Kingsclere became his home at the age of 26 and it is here that earned his reputation as an internationally...
at Kingsclere
Kingsclere
Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, England. Kingsclere is located near to Watership Down, the setting of Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.-Geography:...
. He was ridden by Geoff Lewis
Geoff Lewis
Geoff Lewis is a Welsh retired jockey who was born in Talgarth, .He moved to London with his family in 1946. He came from a large family and started his career with Ron Smyth, who was a trainer in Epsom. He will be best remembered as the jockey that won the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Oaks ,...
in all his fourteen races. Mellon named the horse after the Mill Reef Club
Mill Reef Club
The Mill Reef Club is a 700 acre exclusive members-only resort in Antigua, founded in 1947 by Robertson 'Happy' Ward , with initial capital of $38,000. There were 45 founding members, each paying $7,500 for a plot for building a home...
, which is situated on the island of Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
in the West Indies. The Mellon family has maintained a home at Mill Reef since its founding in 1947.
As a yearling Mill Reef showed himself to be an exceptional talent. Once, whilst visiting the stables and watching the yearlings being put through their paces on the Kingsclere gallops, the noted former amateur jockey and journalist Lord Oaksey asked, "Who's that?" to which Balding replied, "That is Mill Reef!" and he went on to prove himself to be an outstanding two year old in 1970.
1970: two-year-old season
Mill Reef made his debut in May in the Salisbury Stakes at SalisburySalisbury Racecourse
Salisbury Racecourse is a flat racecourse in the United Kingdom featuring thoroughbred horse racing. It is located four miles from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. Fifteen races a year are held here between early May and mid-October...
, where he beat the previous winner, and 2-9 favourite, the Lester Piggott
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....
ridden Fireside Chat, by four lengths. He then went to Royal Ascot winning the Coventry Stakes
Coventry Stakes
The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
by six lengths and the decision was taken go to France for the Prix Robert Papin
Prix Robert Papin
The Prix Robert Papin is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 1,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
at Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center....
. After an arduous journey he tasted defeat for the first time by the narrowest of margins, to another exceptional English two year old, My Swallow.
Back on home soil he was entered in the Gimcrack Stakes at York in mid August but, after a torrential overnight downpour turned the going into a quagmire, his trainer wanted to scratch him from the race. However, after discussions with his owner prior to the race, Paul Mellon said, "let him run, I've a feeling it will be alright". Mill Reef put up a dazzling display scampering over the heavy ground to win as he liked by ten lengths from Green God (who was to be crowned champion sprinter the following year). A below par display in his next race, where he beat the filly Hecla by a length in the Imperial Stakes at Kempton
Kempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
, was followed in his final race of the season when he easily won the prestigious Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
by four lengths.
In a crop of outstanding two year olds Mill Reef was rated 1 lb below his French conqueror My Swallow, who went on to remain unbeaten in 7 races including all of France's top two year old races, and 1 lb ahead of the unbeaten Middle Park Stakes
Middle Park Stakes
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was established...
winner Brigadier Gerard.
1971: three-year-old season
As a three year old, following a facile victory in the Greenham StakesGreenham Stakes
The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April....
at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
, Mill Reef was beaten three lengths in the 2,000 Guineas by Brigadier Gerard who was to prove himself arguably the greatest miler ever, with his old rival My Swallow back in third.
Although his breeding hinted otherwise, Mill Reef then proved himself to be the outstanding middle distance racehorse of the year, easily winning the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
by two lengths from Linden Tree, the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
at Sandown beating the crack French colt Caro by four lengths and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
by six lengths from the Derby Italiano
Derby Italiano
The Derby Italiano is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Capannelle over a distance of 2,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
winner Ortis. I
n October he completed an extraordinary year when he was victorious in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
at Longchamp
Hippodrome de Longchamp
The Longchamp Racecourse is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes in the Bois de Boulogne at Paris, France. Built on the banks of the Seine River, it is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tracks and a famous hill that provides a real...
in France beating the star French filly Pistol Packer by three lengths.
1972: four-year-old season
Kept in training as a four year old Mill Reef looked better than ever when returning to Longchamp to win the Prix GanayPrix Ganay
The Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May....
in April 1972 by ten lengths (though photographs of the finish make it closer to twelve lengths). A summer rematch with Brigadier Gerard, who had also been kept in training as a four year old, was earmarked for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. But after a narrow win in the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Epsom Downs
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
, by a neck from Homeric, he was found to be suffering from a heavy virus and the rematch had to be postponed.
Fully recovered Mill Reef was being trained for an Autumn campaign and a return to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October when tragedy struck during a routine gallop where he stumbled and shattered his foreleg. After a painstaking operation he was saved and, though his racing career was over, he became a stallion at The National Stud
The National Stud
The National Stud is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred horse breeding farm located two miles from Newmarket. The Stud originated in 1916 as a result of a gift by William Hall Walker of the entire bloodstock of his stud farm in Tully, Kildare town in County Kildare, Ireland...
in Newmarket.
Stud career
In a hugely successful stud career his offspring included the winners in 1978 of both the DerbyEpsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, Shirley Heights
Shirley Heights
Shirley Heights was a British-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred race horse, winner of the Epsom Derby in 1978. He is the last Epsom Derby winner to be both the son of a previous winner , and the sire of a subsequent winner . Shirley Heights was also the sire of Darshaan.- References :...
, the French Derby (Prix du Jockey Club
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
), Acamas and the 1987 Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Reference Point
Reference Point (horse)
Reference Point was a British-bred and British-trained Thoroughbred race horse,who overcame sinus problems before winning York's Dante Stakes, the Epsom Derby, Ascot's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, the Great Voltigeur and St. Leger in 1987. Notably, he is the last Derby winner...
.
Mill Reef died in 1986 and he is buried within the National Stud where a statue stands in his memory.
Assessment, honours and awards
Mill Reef was given a rating of 141 by TimeformTimeform
Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry...
, the 6th highest rating ever given for three year olds and above.
The Mill Reef Stakes
Mill Reef Stakes
The Mill Reef Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 6 furlongs and 8 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
at Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
is named in his honour.
The following is inscribed on the plinth beneath his statue at the National Stud:
Swift as a bird I flew down many a course.
Princes, Lords, Commoners all sang my praise.
In victory or defeat I played my part.
Remember me, all men who love the Horse,
If hearts and spirits flag in after days;
Though small, I gave my all. I gave my heart.
From Paul Mellon's speech at the Gimcrack Dinner 1970.