Kingsclere History
Ever since the days of John Porter the yard at Kingsclere has echoed with the hoof beats of a steady stream of champions. Porter counted the legendary Triple Crown winners Ormonde and Flying Fox amongst his staggering 23 classic winners. Frank Butters maintained the Classic heritage of Park House when he won the Derby with Mid Day Sun and Evan Williams trained the first ever King George winner Supreme Court during his time at Kingsclere. Peter Hastings- Bass trained the winners of numerous notable races including the Royal Hunt Cup, Stewards Cup and Cambridgeshire during his all too short career and upon his death in 1964 the licence was handed to his assistant Ian Balding. Under his guidance Kingsclere has been the home of top class racehorses that have thrilled crowds and slaughtered opponents all over Europe.Amongst the galaxy of stars that he has trained are familiar names such as MILL REEF.
Owned and bred by American millionaire Paul Mellon,
Mill Reef is widely regarded as one of the great middle distance horses of all time.
A son of Never Bend he arrived at Kingsclere as a yearling in the winter of 1969. He was an outstanding two year old counting the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot,
the Gimcrack Stakes and the Group1 Dewhurst Stakes amongst his five victories in 1970. The following year Mill Reef and his regular jockey Geoff Lewis were to carry all before them, but only after they tasted defeat for the second and last time of their famous association.
This was in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket where they had to play second fiddle to possibly the greatest miler of all time Brigadier Gerard. Following that defeat Mill Reef was then stepped up to a mile and a half for the greatest flat race in the calendar, the Epsom Derby and his victory was the first leg in an unprecedented sequence of victories. Having trounced the best three year olds in the land, Mill Reef followed up in Europe's three most prestigious all age races; The Eclipse Stakes, the King George at Ascot and the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. The 1971 Champion of Europe returned as a four year old to add two further Group 1 wins to his tally in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp and the Coranation Cup at Epsom. However a tragic turn of events cut his career short when Mill Reef fractured a foreleg whilst training at Kingsclere. Thankfully he was saved after surgery and enjoyed a long and successful career As a stallion at the National Stud in Newmarket.
The story of sprint star LOCHSONG reads more like fantasy than fact. A relatively unpromising prospect as a two year old, owner Jeff Smith sent Lochsong to Kingsclere at the start of her three year old career with the brief to "try and win a little race". That she did, 15 times between 1991 and 1994 , graduating from lowly handicaps to win three Group One victories and two titles as Champion European Sprinter. Lochsong and Frankie Dettori were the darlings of the racing public and the press referred to her as "The Queen of Speed" due to her trailblazing style of running.
Owned and bred by George Strawbridge, SELKIRK was Champion Miler in 1995 and 1996. A brilliant and versatile racehorse his finest hour came when he trounced the best in Europe in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. Further victories in the Lockinge Stakes and the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket added to Selkirk's accolades. Now standing at the Lanwades stud he is one of the leading sires in Europe and had his first Classic win with Wince in the 1999 1,000 Guineas and some of his best progeny have followed in his hoof prints to be trained at Kingsclere.
Bought as a yearling by Ian Balding for $40,000, MRS PENNY was the champion two year old filly of 1979; striking up a hatrick of big race wins in the Cherry Hinton Stakes, the Lowther Stakes and the Group One Chievely Park Stakes. As a three year old Mrs Penny was Classic placed in England and Ireland before winning the French Oaks under Lester Piggott. Further Group One glory followed in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.
FOREST FLOWER became a favourite of racegoers due to her diminutive stature. But what she lacked in size she more than made up for in courage and ability. With only Reference Point rated higher in the International Classifications, Forest Flower was widely recognised as one of the best juvenille fillies of her time. A scintilating victory in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot was followed by wins in the Cherry Hinton Stakes and the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury: before easily winning the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes only to be disqualified for bumping. As a three year old her career was severely interrupted by a virus, but "Flower Power" was still in evidence when she bravely won the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh in 1987.
Full brothers GLINT OF GOLD and DIAMOND SHOAL flew the flag for Kingsclere in the early eighties. Both top class middle distance older horses they won a staggering ten Group One races between them between 1980 and 1984. Glint of Gold who won 6 Group One races in Italy, Germany and France was unfortunate that he was foaled in the same year as the mighty Shergar. He chased him home in the Epsom Derby and was also second in the St. Leger , the Coronation Cup and third in the King George at Ascot. Diamond Shoal won four Group One races as a four year old and was rated the Champion older male in Europe in 1984. But probably his finest hour came in defeat when a gallant second to the great race mare Time Charter in the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The remarkable Crown Treasure dam of both Glint of Gold and Diamond Shoal was also the mother of top jumper CRYSTAL SPIRIT. A high class hurdler as a four year old he won the Bishops Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1994 before following up in the Sun Alliance Hurdle at the Festival meeting under Jimmy Frost.
ROBELLINO was another Kingsclere trained star for Ian Balding. A high class two year old career saw him win the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot before making a name for himself as a top stallion. Amongst his best progeny is the classic winner Mister Baileys.
Other notable horses trained at Kingsclere in recent years include the Group One winners SILVER FLING a champion at 5 furlongs in 1989 and DASHING BLADE who won the Dewhurst Stakes in the same year.
TAGULA is now embarking on a stud career in Ireland. During his days at Kingsclere he provided his owner Robert Hitchins with Group One glory in the Prix Morny at Deauville.
Other Group One winners trained at Kingsclere include the globetrotting pair King of Clubs and Gold and Ivory and top sprinter LOCHANGEL who won the 1998 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.