'It's lovely to win the race named after him' - family connection not lost on Andrew Balding as Array lands Mill Reef

Andrew Balding has won far bigger races in his training career but there was a bit of added satisfaction about Array's success in the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes.  

Array's trainer admitted he had been trying to win the Mill Reef - named after the great champion trained by Balding’s father Ian to win the Derby, Eclipse, King George and Arc - for several years without success, and was understandably delighted to set that record straight.  

"My sister and I were educated off the back of Mill Reef so we owe him a lot," said Balding. "It's lovely to win the race named after him. It's a race we always try to find something good enough to have a go at and to do it with a horse who has as big a future as him is really exciting."

Ian Balding won the Mill Reef twice with Firebreak in 2001 and Forest Flower in 1986, with the latter going on to carry the Mill Reef silks of Paul Mellon to victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Array too looks like he will stay further than six furlongs and his trainer did not rule out a potential tilt at a Classic next year, with bet365 going 20-1 (from 50) for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas. 

"It's not impossible that he'd get a mile next year," said Balding. "He was very tough today and I see no reason why he wouldn't be even better next year. Until you run on soft ground like today you always worry about it but he seems to handle anything."

There was a bunched finish to the Mill Reef with Array (pink cap) just prevailingCredit: Alan Crowhurst

As for the rest of this season, Array holds an entry in the Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes, which would have been a logical next step had it not been scheduled for seven days' time.

Paddy Power cut the winner's odds to 20-1 (from 25) for the Middle Park but Balding said: "That might come quick enough. He's not in the Dewhurst [over seven furlongs at Newmarket on October 14] but there's always the option to supplement. It would have to be a unanimous group decision I'd say."

Mister Sketch finished second, beaten just half a length, with Seven Questions, who finished in front of Array at Kempton last time, a further short head away in third having struggled to find daylight as the pace first quickened.

Balding jnr was not the only one winning the race for the first time, with rider Oisin Murphy also picking up his first Mill Reef success in the colours of Juddmonte. 

"I was delighted with his attitude and he's really come forward from race to race," said Murphy. "With regards to the future, I actually think he might stay a little bit further and hopefully he'll go the right way. Certainly if he got seven furlongs we'd then try the mile.

"He's super-relaxed and he got away well today. He got through that ground well and it's a big privilege to win a big race in these colours."

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