Terrance Millard (15 December 1929 – 20 November 2019) was a South African horse racing trainer.[1] He trained over 2,500 winners, including 117 Grade 1 victories, 44 Grade 2 races, and 37 Grade 3 races. He held the record for the most Grade 1 wins at 117, until that was surpassed by Mike de Kock in 2018.[2]

Terrance Millard
OccupationTrainer
Born(1929-12-15)15 December 1929
Cape Town, South Africa
Died20 November 2019(2019-11-20) (aged 89)
NationalitySouth African
ChildrenTony Millard
Career wins2,500+
Significant horses
Empress Club, Ilustrador, Right Prerogative, Royal Chalice, Occult, Devon Air, Tecla Bluff

He trained six winners of the Durban July Handicap, including six winners of the Metropolitan Handicap and the Gold Cup.

Biography edit

Terrance Millard was born on 15 December 1929 in Cape Town to an immigrant Welsh couple. He attended school at Rondebosch Boys High School, before attending Marist Brothers.[citation needed]

Millard became a professional horse racing trainer in 1954, and saddled his first winner on 27 November 1954.[3] He trained his horses at his 12.5 hectare establishment at Bloubergstrand, which hosted over 70 stables.[citation needed] He said the "galloping goldmine", Empress Club, was the greatest horse he ever trained. The Argentinean import won fifteen races, including nine Grade 1 races, which included the Queen's Plate and the Metropolitan Handicap (then known as the J&B Met) in 1993.[citation needed]

Millard and his wife Joyce had been married for 54 years when she died.[2] He retired in 1991, at the age of 61.[4] He died on 20 November 2019, just one month short of his 90th birthday.[2]

Competitive history edit

Millard dominated the Durban July Handicap from 1983 to 1990 training six Durban July Handicap winners. On two occasions, his horses filled the top three places. His winners include:

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
1990 Ilustrador 4 Felix Coetzee Terence M. Millard
1989 Right Prerogative 4 M. A. Sutherland Terence M. Millard
1988 Royal Chalice 4 Felix Coetzee Terence M. Millard
1986 Occult 5 Bartie Leisher Terence M. Millard
1984 Devon Air 5 Felix Coetzee Terence M. Millard
1983 Tecla Bluff 5 M. A. Sutherland Terence M. Millard

References edit

  1. ^ Lithgow, Jimmy (September 1986). "Winner's Circle - The Magical Mr Millard". Racing Museum.
  2. ^ a b c "The Millard Magic Will Endure Forever". Sporting Post. 21 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Terrance Millard". Sporting Post. 24 June 2015.
  4. ^ Clower, Michael. "Legendary SA trainer Millard dies". News24. Retrieved 9 July 2020.