Mill Reef

Mill Reef
This statue of Mill Reef stands in the centre of Rokeby Stables in Upperville, Virginia
Sire	Never Bend
Grandsire	Nasrullah
Dam	Milan Mill
Damsire	Princequillo
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1968
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Paul Mellon
Owner	Paul Mellon Colours: Black, gold cross and stripe on cap.
Trainer	Ian Balding
Record	14:12-2-0
Earnings	£309,225
Major wins
Coventry Stakes (1970) Gimcrack Stakes (1970) Dewhurst Stakes (1970) Greenham Stakes (1971) Epsom Derby (1971) Eclipse Stakes (1971) K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1971) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1971) Prix Ganay (1972) Coronation Cup (1972)
Awards
English 3-Yr-Old Champion Colt (1971) European Horse of the Year (1971) English Champion Older Horse (1972) Timeform rating: 141 Leading sire in GB & Ireland (1978, 1987)
Honours
#4 - 20th Century's Top 100 European Racehorses Life-size statue at The National Stud, Newmarket Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury Racecourse
Last updated on 10 April 2024

Mill Reef (23 February 1968 – 2 February 1986) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a three-year career from 1970 to 1972, he won twelve of fourteen races and finished second in the other two. The horse was an outstanding two-year-old in 1970 but 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 racing career was ended by a severely broken leg that threatened his life. At not more than 15.4 hands as a three-year-old,^[1] Mill Reef was quite a small horse but is considered one of the greatest thoroughbreds to run in Europe since WWII.

He recovered from a complicated operation on his broken leg to become a very successful stallion.