Mill Reef handler bows out

Andrew Balding has a hard act to follow when he takes over the trainer's licence from his father Ian on January 1 next year. Balding senior announced his forthcoming retirement in a statement to PA Sport today which said: 'Ian Balding has announced his retirement. As from January 1, 2003, Andrew Balding will hold the trainer's license at Kingsclere.'

Explaining his decision he said: 'Andrew and I have been sharing the horses and he's just done extremely well and it's high time he took over.' Balding junior commented: 'I'm very much looking forward to it. He will be a hard act to follow but I appreciate getting the chance and I'll be doing my best to follow in the family tradition. He's had about 40 Group one winners so he's not been shy on training good horses.'

Balding junior is hoping to have around 100 horses in his care for next season and added: 'We've great staff and some wonderful owners, who will hopefully stay, and we'll give it our best shot. Dad will still be very much involved.'

In recent years Balding junior has been responsible for the stable's jumpers and also the preparation of Distant Prospect, winner of last year's Tote Cesarewitch. Balding senior, 63, who has held a trainer's licence since June 1964, is best known as the trainer of the brilliant Mill Reef, winner of the Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Prix de l'Arc Triomphe in 1971 for the late Paul Mellon.

Recalling a highly-successful career he went on: 'It's been wonderful to train a few good horses for lots of wonderful owners. I suppose Mill Reef's Arc de Triomphe probably was the high point and more recently emotionally Lochsong's second Prix de l'Abbaye. Paul Mellon (owner of Mill Reef) was an outstanding owner along with The Queen and Queen Mother, they were wonderful to train for and in recent years the late Robert Hitchins, he was a big owner. George Strawbridge and Jeff Smith are still with us and they are very prominent owner-breeders.

Many young jockeys have benefited from his guidance with Martin Dwyer the latest star to emerge from the Kingsclere academy. 'Ernie Johnson was the first of many good ones and I suppose Martin Dwyer the most recent as well as Philip Waldron, John Matthias and Shaun Payne, whose career was sadly cut short,' Balding senior said.

Balding has enjoyed well over 1,000 successes on the Flat and over jumps as a trainer and as well riding around 70 winners as an amateur and 'a lot of point-to-point winners'.

Filed by Brendan Cole