Mill Reef (USA)
February 23, 1968 – February 2, 1986
Never Bend (USA) x Milan Mill (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 22-d
February 23, 1968 – February 2, 1986
Never Bend (USA) x Milan Mill (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 22-d
Considered one of the finest European-based racehorses to run in the second half of the 20th century, Mill Reef was the crowning achievement for owner-breeder Paul Mellon. He was equally important as a sire, founding a European branch of the Nasrullah male line that still exists.
Race record
14 starts, 12 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$764,412 (converted from earnings in England and France)
1970:
1971:
1972:
Honors
Assessments
Rated second at 132 pounds on the Totalisator Free Handicap for English-raced juveniles of 1970, 1 pound below champion My Swallow.
Highweighted at 133 pounds on the Free Handicap for English 3-year-old males of 1971, 4 pounds above second-rated Brigadier Gerard.
Highweighted at 150 pounds on the French Free Handicap for 3-year-olds of 1971, 12 pounds above a tie for second place between Pistol Packer (the year’s French champion 3-year-old filly) and Rheffic.
Rated by Timeform at 141 pounds at ages 3 and 4, the seventh-highest weight assignment for a 20th-century racehorse.
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris ranked Mill Reef eighth among the world's great racehorses of the 20th century.
As an individual
A medium-sized, neat bay horse with superb balance and quality, Mill Reef was blessed with beautifully light, fluid action and an excellent turn of foot. He stood 15.3-3/4 hands. He could handle any going and had a calm disposition as a racehorse. He was knocked out of action at 4 by a virus and then by a swollen hock following his win in the Coronation Cup (ENG-G1) and broke his left foreleg after getting back in training.
As a stallion
According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, Mill Reef sired 239 winners (60.7%) and 63 stakes winners (16.0%) from 394 named foals; Thoroughbred Times credits him with 92 stakes winners. His progeny generally stayed well but usually needed time to mature, and many were temperamentally and physically delicate and difficult to train. Mill Reef is a Classic/Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Acamas (GB), Behera (IRE), Creator (GB), Diamond Shoal (GB), Doyoun (IRE), Fairy Footsteps (IRE), Glint of Gold (GB), Ibn Bey (GB), King of Clubs (GB), Lashkari (GB), Marooned (GB), Milligram (GB), Paris Royal (IRE), Pas de Seul (GB), Reference Point (GB), Shirley Heights (GB), Star Lift (GB), Wassl (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Catchascatchcan (GB), Fly to the Stars (GB), Last Tycoon (IRE), Lucratif (FR), Mill Native (USA), Mujtahid (USA), Pentire (GB), Pure Grain (GB), Tajoun (FR), Toulon (GB), Valanour (IRE), Vereva (IRE), Waki River (FR), Wemyss Bight (GB)
Connections
Mill Reef was bred and owned by Paul Mellon. He was trained by Ian Balding. Syndicated at a total valuation of 2 million pounds after he recovered from his leg injury. Mill Reef stood at the National Stud at Newmarket, England. He was humanely destroyed due to a deteriorating heart condition in 1986.
Pedigree notes
Mill Reef is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1976 Princess Elizabeth Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Memory Lane, dam of German Group 3 winner Fields of Spring (by The Minstrel), second dam of English Group 2 winner Ronda and English stakes winner Silver Gilt, and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Istan and multiple Group 3 winner Purr Along. Mill Reef's two half sisters were also notable producers. Mille Fleurs (by Jacinto) is the dam of St. Leger Italiano (ITY-G2) winner Crusader Castle, while Millicent (by Cornish Prince) is the dam of English Grade 2 winner Peterhof (by The Minstrel) and Irish Group 3 winners Western Symphony and Moscow Ballet (both by Nijinsky II). Millicent is also the second dam of triple Classic-placed stakes winner Mane Minister and the third dam of Japanese champion 2-year-old male Fuji Kiseki, Japanese Group 3 winner Shinin' Racer, and Grade 3 winner Master Dreamer.
Milan Mill was injured as a youngster and raced only once. She is a half sister to 1965 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Berkeley Springs (by Hasty Road) and to English stakes winner Goose Creek (by Requested). She is also a half sister to Newport News (by Jet Pilot), second dam of Grade 3 winner Mr. Sad, and to Virginia Green (by Nashua), dam of Swedish stakes winner Old Dominion (by In Reality) and second dam of Peruvian stakes winner Kelsey's Creek. The dam of Milan Mill, unraced Virginia Water (by Count Fleet) was one of only two foals produced from the imported Hyperion mare Red Ray.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: December 30, 2022
Race record
14 starts, 12 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$764,412 (converted from earnings in England and France)
1970:
- Won Gimcrack Stakes (ENG, 6FT, York)
- Won Imperial Stakes (ENG, Kempton)
- Won Coventry Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Ascot)
- Won Dewhurst Stakes (ENG, 7FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Prix Robert Papin (FR, 1100mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
1971:
- Won Derby Stakes (ENG-G1, 12FT, Epsom)
- Won Eclipse Stakes (ENG-G1, 10FT, Sandown)
- Won King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ENG-G1, 12FT, Ascot)
- Won Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1, 2400mT, Longchamp; new course record)
- Won Greenham Stakes (ENG-G3, 7FT, Newbury)
- 2nd Two Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1, 8FT, Newmarket)
1972:
- Won Prix Ganay (FR-G1, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- Won Coronation Cup (ENG-G1, 12FT, Epsom)
Honors
- English Horse of the Year (1971)
- English champion 3-year-old male (1971)
- French champion 3-year-old male (1971)
- English champion older male (1972)
- French champion older male (1972)
Assessments
Rated second at 132 pounds on the Totalisator Free Handicap for English-raced juveniles of 1970, 1 pound below champion My Swallow.
Highweighted at 133 pounds on the Free Handicap for English 3-year-old males of 1971, 4 pounds above second-rated Brigadier Gerard.
Highweighted at 150 pounds on the French Free Handicap for 3-year-olds of 1971, 12 pounds above a tie for second place between Pistol Packer (the year’s French champion 3-year-old filly) and Rheffic.
Rated by Timeform at 141 pounds at ages 3 and 4, the seventh-highest weight assignment for a 20th-century racehorse.
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris ranked Mill Reef eighth among the world's great racehorses of the 20th century.
As an individual
A medium-sized, neat bay horse with superb balance and quality, Mill Reef was blessed with beautifully light, fluid action and an excellent turn of foot. He stood 15.3-3/4 hands. He could handle any going and had a calm disposition as a racehorse. He was knocked out of action at 4 by a virus and then by a swollen hock following his win in the Coronation Cup (ENG-G1) and broke his left foreleg after getting back in training.
As a stallion
According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, Mill Reef sired 239 winners (60.7%) and 63 stakes winners (16.0%) from 394 named foals; Thoroughbred Times credits him with 92 stakes winners. His progeny generally stayed well but usually needed time to mature, and many were temperamentally and physically delicate and difficult to train. Mill Reef is a Classic/Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1978 and 1987; 3rd in 1983; 6th in 1981; 7th in 1984; 8th in 1982; 10th in 1986 and 1988.
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1995; 7th in 1993 and 1996; 8th in 1998; 10th in 1991.
- 2nd on the French general sire list in 1989; 6th in 1978.
- 2nd on the French broodmare sire list in 1998; 3rd in 1997; 5th in 1988, 1993, 1995, and 1996; 6th in 1991; 9th in 1990 and 1992; 10th in 1999.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1978 and 1987.
- Led the Irish general sire list in 1978.
Notable progeny
Acamas (GB), Behera (IRE), Creator (GB), Diamond Shoal (GB), Doyoun (IRE), Fairy Footsteps (IRE), Glint of Gold (GB), Ibn Bey (GB), King of Clubs (GB), Lashkari (GB), Marooned (GB), Milligram (GB), Paris Royal (IRE), Pas de Seul (GB), Reference Point (GB), Shirley Heights (GB), Star Lift (GB), Wassl (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Catchascatchcan (GB), Fly to the Stars (GB), Last Tycoon (IRE), Lucratif (FR), Mill Native (USA), Mujtahid (USA), Pentire (GB), Pure Grain (GB), Tajoun (FR), Toulon (GB), Valanour (IRE), Vereva (IRE), Waki River (FR), Wemyss Bight (GB)
Connections
Mill Reef was bred and owned by Paul Mellon. He was trained by Ian Balding. Syndicated at a total valuation of 2 million pounds after he recovered from his leg injury. Mill Reef stood at the National Stud at Newmarket, England. He was humanely destroyed due to a deteriorating heart condition in 1986.
Pedigree notes
Mill Reef is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1976 Princess Elizabeth Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Memory Lane, dam of German Group 3 winner Fields of Spring (by The Minstrel), second dam of English Group 2 winner Ronda and English stakes winner Silver Gilt, and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Istan and multiple Group 3 winner Purr Along. Mill Reef's two half sisters were also notable producers. Mille Fleurs (by Jacinto) is the dam of St. Leger Italiano (ITY-G2) winner Crusader Castle, while Millicent (by Cornish Prince) is the dam of English Grade 2 winner Peterhof (by The Minstrel) and Irish Group 3 winners Western Symphony and Moscow Ballet (both by Nijinsky II). Millicent is also the second dam of triple Classic-placed stakes winner Mane Minister and the third dam of Japanese champion 2-year-old male Fuji Kiseki, Japanese Group 3 winner Shinin' Racer, and Grade 3 winner Master Dreamer.
Milan Mill was injured as a youngster and raced only once. She is a half sister to 1965 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Berkeley Springs (by Hasty Road) and to English stakes winner Goose Creek (by Requested). She is also a half sister to Newport News (by Jet Pilot), second dam of Grade 3 winner Mr. Sad, and to Virginia Green (by Nashua), dam of Swedish stakes winner Old Dominion (by In Reality) and second dam of Peruvian stakes winner Kelsey's Creek. The dam of Milan Mill, unraced Virginia Water (by Count Fleet) was one of only two foals produced from the imported Hyperion mare Red Ray.
Books and media
- The Story of Mill Reef, by John Oaksey, was originally published in hardback in 1974 and in paperback in 1975. It was re-released in paperback by Aurum Press Ltd. in 2006.
- Mill Reef is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
- Mill Reef is one of 75 stallions profiled in Tony Morris' Thoroughbred Stallions (1990, The Crowood Press).
Fun facts
- Mill Reef was Never Bend's first runner in England.
- Paul Mellon named Mill Reef for the Mill Reef Club on the island of Antigua, where he owned a home.
- Mill Reef became one of the few Thoroughbreds ever to fly with the United States Air Force when he was transported via an Air Force transport from England to France prior to the 1971 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
- Mill Reef's record of six consecutive Group 1 wins in 1971-1972 stood for 30 years. It was broken by Rock of Gibraltar, who won seven consecutive Group 1 races in 2001-2002.
- The Mill Reef Stakes is a Group 2 race for 2-year-olds. It is contested at about 6 furlongs at the Newbury race course in England.
- Mill Reef's full sister Memory Lane ran in the race named for her brother in 1975, finishing third.
- The Royal Veterinary College's pathology building at its Hawkshead, Hertfordshire campus is named after Mill Reef.
- A bronze statue of Mill Reef stands at the center of Rokeby Stables near Upperville, Virginia. Mill Reef is also the subject of a life-sized statue at the National Stud.
Last updated: December 30, 2022