Reform was a small bay horse with a white sock on his left hind leg[1] bred by the Ballymacoll Stud in County Meath, Ireland.

His dam, Country House, bred by Dorothy Paget, was a granddaughter of Coventry Belle, a sister of the 1000 Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Godiva.

His breeders' decided not to send him to the sales, as it was felt that his unimpressive appearance would not attract buyers and would reflect poorly on the stud's reputation.

[3] Reform began his racing career in early April 1966 when he finished fourth to Manacle in the Half Moon Stakes over the minimum distance of five furlongs at Kempton Park Racecourse.

Ridden as in all his major races by the Australian jockey Scobie Breasley,[5] he started the 4/6 favourite[6] and won from Chinwag, with Bold Lad in third.

On 30 September, Reform started 6/5 favourite[6] for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile at Ascot and "turned the race into a procession"[8] winning by ten lengths from the four-year-old Track Spare, with St Chad in third.

[3] In 1967 the independent Timeform organisation awarded him a rating of 132, making him the top-rated three-year-old of the year, a pound ahead of Royal Palace.