Rod Millman Racing
Brian Roderick Millman was born in 1957 and was raised in a family with a racing background.
Rod’s father Brian was a permit holder in Devon where Rod first took part in pony and show jumping events as a boy.
Rod recalls that “from the age of 12 I had pretty much set my heart on becoming a jockey”.
Upon leaving school Rod began his career as a jockey as apprentice to one of the master trainer of sprinters, Reg Akehurst at Lambourn between 1972 to 1976. Rides were not easy to come by in those days but he still had 5 winners. He then went to Monty Stephens the biggest private trainer in the country at the time. Rising weight decided his next move which was to Kingsbridge based National Hunt trainer David Barons in 1977 as Conditional jockey.
Rod spent awhile working with Michael Chapman in the Midlands as first jockey, Head Lad and box driver and then became second jockey to Ron Atkins at the Wellington Headquarters of Martin Pipe where he remained until 1981 when he went freelance. During the last few seasons of his riding career he joined the flat stable of another specialist with sprinters, Gerald Cottrell, at Kentisbeare as work rider.
Wining some 60 jump races Rod retired from race riding in 1989 but still rides out and maintains his skill at knowing when a horse is at its best.
Billy Williams' Tom’s Little Al was one of the best horses Rod rode and the grey became very popular. But it did not
start that way; the horse had failed to win in his first 13 chases.
Under Rod's sympathetic handling the horse responded becoming a notably tough performer who relished taking on and beating the best handicappers around. Rod would later put this ability to treat horses as individuals to good use as a trainer.
Rod took his dual purpose trainer’s license out on 1st November 1989 when he was 32 years old. He began his training career while working for Gerald Cottrell before taking over the yard when Cottrell moved to Cullompton.
He did not have long to wait for his first winner. After only 7 runners which yielded three seconds 20/1 shot Royal Dartmouth, ridden by Paul D’Arcy scored by three-quarters of a length from Deputy Tim in the Haseley Handicap at Warwick. The 5 year old gelding was appropriately named for a Devon trainer and owned by Simon Duttfield owner of Axminster Carpets. Royal Dartmouth would follow up this success with another win two weeks later.
Rod married Louise in 1985 and their two sons James and Patrick have grown up with the horses and along with Louise are very important members of the team at The Paddocks.
His years with Reg Akehurst, Gerald Cottrell and the sprinters left an impression on Rod as he has successfully handled a fair few himself including Lord Kintyre, Fromsong and Whitbarrow. Whitbarrow brought him his first Pattern race success in the 2001 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and is still racing and winning today. Rod’s skills are not limited to sprinters though, he has had stayers on the flat and over obstacles, training Kendal Cavalier, and later the two Group winning horses on the flat Hawridge Prince and Sergeant Cecil.
Major races won:
Craven H'cap @ Epsom,
Highclere Nursery @ Newbury,
Highland Spring 4 y-old H'cap Hurdle @ Newbury,
Weatherbys Super Sprint, City & Suburban @ Epsom,
Molecomb Group 3, Miles Gosling Chase @ Cheltenham,
Northumberland Plate, Ebor, Ceasarewitch, Yorkshire Cup, Lonsdale Stakes, Jockey Club Cup,
Prix Du Cadran.
Here is a little interview with Rod, in the series "Voices of the Races" by Eliza done at Chepstow Racecourse.