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 injury. Mill Reef is considered one of the greatest horses to run in Europe since WWII. He was a contemporary of another British-trained champion, the English-bred Brigadier Gerard who defeated him in their only racecourse meeting in the 2000 Guineas. As the race was over Brigadier Gerard's optimum distance of one mile, the relative merits of the two colts continue to be the subject of debate. Background Mill Reef was bred in the United States of America at the Rokeby Stables in Virginia of his owner and breeder the philanthropist Paul Mellon. He was a son of Never Bend out of the mare Milan Mill by Princequillo. As a yearling it was thought that his action would be a better fit for a career on the turf courses of Europe rather than the dirt tracks in America. Therefore, he was sent to England in December 1969 to be trained by Paul Mellon's young English trainer Ian Balding at Kingsclere. He would be ridden by Geoff Lewis in all his fourteen races. Mellon named the horse after the Mill Reef Club, which is situated on the island of Antigua in the West Indies. The Mellon family has maintained a home at Mill Reef since its founding in 1947. As a yearling Mill Reef showed himself to be an exceptional talent. Once, whilst visiting the stables and watching the yearlings being put through their paces on the Kingsclere gallops, the noted former amateur jockey and journalist Lord Oaksey asked, "Who's that?" to which Balding replied, "That is Mill Reef!" He went on to prove himself an outstanding two-year-old in 1970. Racing career 1970: two-year-old season Mill Reef made his debut in May in the Salisbury Stakes at Salisbury, where he beat the previous winner and 2-9 favourite, the Lester Piggott-ridden Fireside Chat, by four lengths. He then went to Royal Ascot winning the