MULLAGHDRIN Gold Rain was imported to Argentina in 2011 by Marleen Melchior of Zangersheide Argentina.
Due to his exceptional family bloodlines and jumping ability, Melchior decided to clone the gelding in 2014 in partnership with a client who owned a share.
“We decided to clone him because such a great horse and he will jump with anybody. Of course he won the derby here in Argentina, which is a big deal. He is amazing and keeps on and keep on jumping and jumping.
“I brought him in from Ireland and he has been with a couple of different clients. We really loved the horse and decided to do the clone in partnership,” Melchior told The Irish Field.
Gold Rain Alpha Z was the only embryo to survive the cloning process, which in technical terms is called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT).
Much of the early part of cloning happens in a laboratory, until the cells mature into an embryo and are implanted in recipient mares (see the How does cloning work? diagram to the right).
The four-year-old, who is an exact genetic replica of Mullaghdrin Gold Rain (Golden Cliff x Irco Mena), now aged 19, has been broken and ridden and will compete at shows as a five-year-old.
“He has been broken at a young age, to make sure he would be like the original, who was so important to us. He looks like a very good jumper - he jumps out of all the fields, we have had to make a special field!”
Melchior added: “He looks very like Mullaghdrin Gold Rain.
“The character of the original was really great. The clone is a little bit spoiled, that’s the only thing I am worried about. The mother died from a colic when he was a foal so he was bottle fed and is a little spoiled, but hopefully he will be okay once he goes to competition.”
The Zangersheide Studbook names clones with the suffix alpha and requires every stallion to pass the stallion approval process. Gold Rain Alpha Z has not yet been presented for inspection, but is expected to cover a handful of mares this season.
“Zangersheide Argentina own him, he hasn’t covered yet but we will start with him this year. We will try with 10 or 20 mares. We don’t know anything about the offspring because the original never covered, he was castrated by the time he came to us.”
Bred in Co Kildare by Dr Noel Cawley, Mullaghdrin Gold Rain comes from the exceptional family of Irco Rain.
He was ridden under saddle by Shane Breen and his roll of honour includes winning the Dublin Speed Derby in 2009, a double clear round in the Lisbon Nations Cup in 2010 and a runner-up finish in the famous Hickstead Derby in 2011.
His relations include the 1.60m performers Mullaghdrin Touch The Stars and Touchable, a full-brother and sister, both sired by Touchdown, and campaigned at different stages by Britain’s Jessie Drea, as well as another full-sister to that pair, Knightfield Mena, who is breeding at Quarryfield Stables in Sligo.
ISH STUDBOOK
RULES on clones
A clone registered with the Irish Sport Horse Studbook must have the word clone on their identification document. They follow the same registration process as every other horse. In February 2015, The Irish Field unveiled two clones of the famous Cruising, however the now five-year-olds have not yet presented for inspection.