The British racing world is in mourning following the death of the celebrated trainer Ian Balding at the age of 87. Over a distinguished four-decade career, Balding saddled an impressive 1,755 winners on the flat, with 123 of those coming in top-tier Group races. His legacy, however, is forever intertwined with one exceptional thoroughbred: the legendary Mill Reef.
The Pinnacle: Mill Reef's Unforgettable 1971 Season
While Balding enjoyed success with many horses, none matched the brilliance of Mill Reef. The colt's three-year-old campaign in 1971 stands as one of the greatest in racing history. After a winning debut at Salisbury in 1970, jockey Geoff Lewis told Balding he had a "once-in-a-lifetime horse" on his hands. Prophecy became reality as Mill Reef, under Lewis, stormed to victory in the Greenham Stakes and then the Derby at Epsom with consummate ease that June.
The season continued in spectacular fashion with wins in the Eclipse Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The ultimate challenge awaited in Paris: the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Balding, then just 32, faced his sternest test, worried the long season had left his champion "over the top". He later called managing the horse into the Arc his "greatest test as a trainer".
His fears were unfounded. In October 1971, Mill Reef powered to a three-length victory in a new course record, completing the Derby-Arc double. This rare feat made him only the second horse, after Sea-Bird, to achieve it, a club that still has just seven members. That triumph crowned Balding champion trainer for 1971 with 48 winners.
A Lifelong Career Forged in Kingsclere
Born in New Jersey, USA, in 1938, Balding moved to the UK aged seven when his father, trainer Gerald Balding, set up a yard in Weyhill, Hampshire. After education at Marlborough and Cambridge, where he won a rugby blue, he began assisting his brother Toby before a fateful move in 1964 to become assistant to trainer Peter Hastings-Bass at Kingsclere in Berkshire.
Tragedy struck within months when Hastings-Bass died. His widow, Priscilla, invited the 25-year-old Balding to take over the training licence. Hesitant about opposing his brother and still keen on amateur jump riding, Balding accepted the daunting opportunity. The yard housed horses for owners including Queen Elizabeth II, and Balding quickly proved his talent, sending out ten royal winners in his early days.
Among the owners he inherited was the American philanthropist Paul Mellon, who bred Mill Reef and sent him to Kingsclere in 1969. The colt would win 12 of his 14 races. After a career-ending training injury in 1972, Mill Reef became a highly successful sire, producing Derby winners Shirley Heights and Reference Point.
Lasting Legacy and Family
Though Mill Reef was his zenith, Balding's skill shone with many other top horses. His notable successes included:
- Mrs Penny, winner of the 1980 Prix de Diane.
- Glint of Gold, runner-up in the 1981 Derby behind Shergar.
- Selkirk, champion European miler in 1991 and 1992.
- The brilliant sprinter Lochsong, who won the Prix de l'Abbaye in 1993 and 1994.
He also saddled 123 winners over jumps, including Insular (Imperial Cup, 1986) and Crystal Spirit (Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle, 1991). Balding retired in 2002, handing the famous Kingsclere stable to his son, Andrew, who continues the family tradition.
Ian Balding married Emma Hastings-Bass, daughter of Peter and Priscilla, in 1969. She survives him, along with their children Andrew and Clare. The racing community remembers him not just for the champion he trained, but for the quiet mastery, humility, and profound understanding of the horse that defined his life's work.
