Mill Reef Stakes 2026 named in honour of two-time winner Ian Balding

The Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes takes centre stage at Newbury on Saturday, September 19, 2026 – and this year the Berkshire track are running the race in honour of Ian Balding. 

Mill Reef Named In Honour Of Ian Balding

The 2026 renewal holds special emotional significance, as the race will officially be run In Honour of Ian Balding, paying tribute to the hall-of-fame trainer following his death earlier this year.

Balding, who spent nearly four decades at Park House Stables in Kingsclere, was the mastermind responsible for preparing Mill Reef-one of the greatest racehorses in the history of the turf.

Did Mill Reef ever win the Mill Reef Stakes

No, Mill Reef never won the Mill Reef Stakes-simply because the race did not exist during his running career.

Following Mill Reef’s phenomenal three-year-old campaign, Newbury Racecourse established the six-furlong contest for two-year-olds in 1972 to honour his remarkable achievements.

The first ever Mill Reef Stakes winner was the Richard Hannon (Snr) trained Mon Fils.

“He was the fastest thing I’d ever seen” Ian Balding on Mill Reef

Mill Reef’s Best Wins 

Owned by Paul Mellon and trained by Ian Balding, Mill Reef put together an iconic 1971 three-year-old season, securing big-race wins across Britain and France:

• The Epsom Derby (1971): A dominant two-length victory at Epsom to claim British Flat racing’s premier Classic.
• Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1971): A three-length performance at Longchamp, setting a track record time.
• King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1971): Defeated a top-class field at Ascot by six lengths.
• Eclipse Stakes (1971): A convincing four-length victory over older horses at Sandown.
• Prix Ganay (1972): Swept to a 10-length victory as a four-year-old before his career was ended by a leg fracture later that summer.

WATCH: Mill Reef Winning The 1971 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Ian Balding and Andrew Balding Have Won the Mill Reef Stakes Three Times Between Them

• Ian Balding: Won the Mill Reef Stakes twice. The first back in 1986 with Forest Flower and his second in 2001 with the Martin Dwyer-ridden Firebreak.
• Andrew Balding: After multiple placed finishes, Ian’s son Andrew finally brought the trophy back to Kingsclere in 2023 when he trained the Juddmonte colt Array to victory under Oisin Murphy.

When Did Ian Balding Die? 

Ian Balding passed away on January 2, 2026, at the age of 87.

He handed over the reins at Park House Stables to his son, Andrew Balding, in 2003, who has since built a career as a Classic-winning trainer.

Ian is also the father of popular BBC sports presenter and journalist Clare Balding.

What Time is the 2026 Mill Reef? TV, Track, Distance, Purse & Favourites

• Race Time: 14:12 BST (Saturday, September 19, 2026)
• Track: Newbury Racecourse (Turf, Left-Handed)
• Distance: 6 furlongs (1,200 metres)
• TV Coverage: Live on ITV Racing (3) and Racing TV
• Total Purse / Winner’s Share: Total prize pool of £175,000, with £99,242 awarded to the winner
• Favourite: Arapaho Gold (Michael Dods)

Ian Balding Enjoyed Many Big-Race Wins For Queen Elizabeth II

Ian Balding was a major trainer for Queen Elizabeth II, training for her for almost 40 years from his Kingsclere yard.

He inherited the Queen as an owner when he took over at Park House in 1964 and remained one of her principal trainers until his retirement in 2002.

Ian Balding’s big winners for Queen Elizabeth II

• 1970 Magna Carta Doncaster Cup Winner
• 1971 Example Park Hill Stakes Winner
• 1971 Example Prix de Royallieu Winner
• 1972 Example Prix Jean de Chaudenay Winner
• 1974 Escorial Musidora Stakes Winner
• 1976 Gilding Ascot 1,000 Guineas Trial Winner
• 1980 Dukedom White Rose Stakes Winner

Escorial’s 1974 Musidora Stakes victory at York was arguably his best-known success for the Queen. Balding won the Group 3 race with Escorial under Lester Piggott.