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Ian Balding, Trainer of Mill Reef, Dies at 87

Mill Reef’s 1971 campaign made him champion trainer, cementing a decades-long legacy at Kingsclere.

Overview

  • Park House Stables announced his death on Instagram on January 2, and no cause was disclosed.
  • Balding trained Mill Reef to win the 1971 Derby, Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
  • He trained for Queen Elizabeth II, notably winning the 1974 Musidora Stakes at York with Escorial.
  • He retired in 2002 and handed the Park House Stables licence to his son Andrew, continuing a prominent racing family that includes broadcaster Clare Balding.
  • Tributes have been issued by figures across racing, with former apprentice Martin Dwyer calling him “like a second father,” and Clare Balding posting a personal message on Instagram.