ONE Irish-based rider who enjoyed no less than five wins last weekend on Spain’s Vejer de la Frontera Sunshine Tour was Sheikh Samir Mirdad.

Campaigning Mirdads Booraaaq Alrahmaaan; Mirdads Hubbb Alrahmaaan; Mirdads Jebreeel; Mirdads Maaa Shaaa Allah and Uraeus at the venue, Mirdad was up against a huge number of riders from all over Europe this spring.

However, Samir’s string proved well up to the task, netting the popular rider a series of wins and top 10 placings last Saturday and Sunday alone including three 1.20m classes and the Sunday Grand Prix and two wins in the 1.10m classes.

Last Saturday, Samir and Mirdads Jebreeel won the Classic Tour 1 1.10m two-phase competition (0/0 30.44) and quickly followed this with another win with Mirdads Maaa Shaaa Allah in the Classic Tour B 1.20m class (0/53.08).

Samir followed this up the next day by coming second on Uraeus in the Classic Tour A 1.10m class and then rode Mirdads Hubbb to victory in the Classic Tour B 1.20m class from 64 starters. He also placed ninth on Mirdads Maaa Shaaa Allah in the class.

“Teammirdad is having a great show so far, my entire management team was changed at the end of last year. Teammirdad is well ahead in leading rider position after the first week. I want to thank God, the Spanish Sun Shine Tour, my trainers Dermott Lennon and John Floody, also Teammirdad new management,” said a delighted Samir afterwards.

CEO of The Sunshine Tour, Armando Trapote, said: “Shiekh Samir was on fire last week, he won five out of the six competitions and placed second in the last one. He has broken our show record, no rider has ever achieved such unbelievable results in the long and prestigious history of our show. This is extremely impressive as the classes are substantial in size (over 90 riders) and the competition is fierce to say the least. Also Shiekh Samir is the Leading Rider at the show, it will be nearly impossible for the rest of the competitors to catch up with him.”

IRISH FEATURE

Meanwhile Ireland’s Thomas Ryan placed Zara II sixth in the Grand Prix Tour A2 1.35m class (0/0 24.03) last Saturday in which Captain Michael Kelly was ninth on Mullentine Loughgall (0/0 24.67).

Trevor Breen was third in the Grand Prix Tour B 1.40m class on Oldtown KC (O 71.18) while Bertram Allen and High Valley were 15th (0 89.12). In the Small Grand Prix 1.45m class, Captain Kelly was second on Drumiller Lough (0/0 37.68) while Alex Duffy was ninth on Wrangler II (0/4 33.52) and Richard Howley was 10th on Golden Arrow II (0/4 38.5), followed by Allen in 16th place on Aminko N (0/8 53.36).

On the Sunday, Shane Breen was eighth on Farao Van T Vennehof in the Grand Prix Tour 1.55m (0/4 37.78) while Allen was 12th with Belmonde (0/8 38.61. Shane was also ninth in the Grand Prix Tour A2 1.35m class with Cosimo (0 65.24) while Ryan was 12th on Zaza II (0 67.89). Breen also placed ninth on For Cento in the Grand Prix Tour B 1.40m (0/0 42.65) in which Michael Duffy was 10th on Felix XXVIII ()/4 38.03).

Breen enjoyed a 10th place finish with Calido Boy (0/0 24.88) in the Grand Prix Tour C 1.45m in which his brother Trevor was 12th on Oldtown KC (0/0 25.59). Trevor Breen also placed Bombay fifth in the Grand Prix Tour A1 1.30m class (0/0 3128).