Mill Reef was an exceptional middle distance racehorse wining the Derby and the Prix de lArc de Triomphe in an illustrious horse racing career that was ended prematurely by injury after registering a record six successive Group One wins.

Bred and owned by Paul Mellon, in 1970 Mill Reef was sent to Kingsclere in England to be trained by the young trainer Ian Balding. Although he had an American pedigree, being by Never Bend out of the Princequillo mare Milan Mill (and hence bred on the potent Nasrullah- Princequillo nick that also gave us Secretariat and Seattle Slew), Mill Reef was judged to be a little 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 proved his owner right, quickening clear in the final two furlongs to win by ten lengths in one of the most memorable performances of his career. His glorious fluid action saw him forge further and further clear of his rivals, who included the subsequent champion sprinter Green God and Classic winner Kings Company.

At Kempton Mill Reef was only a narrow winner of the Imperial Stakes, before his busy juvenile season concluded with a step up to six furlongs in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. With a Classic campaign in mind, different tactics were employed with Mill Reef racing behind the pace before quickening sharply in the final quarter mile to win by four lengths, going away.

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.

Balding elected to bypass the Irish Derby in favour of allowing Mill Reef to take on his elders for the first time in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

At Sandown Mill Reef began to show that the class of 68 was superior to its rivals with a dominant victory over the four-year-old French raider Caro. The pair had gone clear from their rivals who set a blistering early pace, but Mill Reef found the most under pressure, quickening clear in the final furlong to win by four lengths in a course record time.

In the King George at Ascot Mill Reef put in an even more dominant display, scorching up the short straight to win 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 his three-year-old season Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard were both qiven equal top rating by both the official handicapper and by Timeform. Unfortunately, the two rivals were destined never to meet again.

Mill Reef made his four-year-old debut in the Prix Ganay, where he utterly spreadeagled his rivals, skipping clear in the straight to a 10 length victory. The Coronation Cup at Epsom came next, and although Mill Reef won he failed to quicken in his usual style and had to dig deep 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.

Disaster struck at the end of August when Mill Reef broke his near foreleg in a routine canter. He was saved by the vets and the dedicated care of Balding and his team, and Mill Reef went on to have successful career at the National Stud. In 1978 his sons scored dual Classic success, with Shirley Heights winning the Derby and Acamas 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.