THE Irish Sport Horse Mullaghdrin Gold Rain has been cloned by Zangersheide Argentina, The Irish Field can reveal this week. Sold to Argentina in 2011, Mullaghdrin Gold rain was a proven performer on the international circuit with Shane Breen in the saddle. The clone, Gold Rain Alpha Z, who is now a four-year-old, was bred by the Argentinian branch of the world famous Zangersheide Stud, run by the late Leon Melchior’s daughter Marleen Melchior.
Bred by Dr Noel Cawley in Co Kildare, the Golden Cliff-sired 19-year-old gelding is out of the great Irco Rain, who has produced three Nations Cup horses in Touchable and Mullaghdrin Touch The Stars, both ridden by Jessie Drea, and Mullaghdrin Gold Rain.
The now 24-year-old mare is still roaming the paddocks at Cawley’s Kildare farm and he awaits the arrival of an embryo foal by Tyson in the coming weeks. “It is great news. Mullaghdrin Gold Rain is very well related and has a good performance history of winning classes and representing Ireland on Nations Cup teams. It is great to see the old Irish breeding being carried on in Argentina,” Cawley told The Irish Field.
Marleen Melchior, listed breeder of Gold Rain Alpha Z, said: “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 jumping and jumping.”