SHEIKH Samir Mirdad’s two-year-old colt C-Mirdads Reeef Alrahmaaan is the first Irish-bred horse to ever qualify for the Holsteiner Verband final for the two-year-old stallion inspection, having won the second qualifier almost two weeks’ ago.

By Casall and out of the mare Arabesque 57, the colt was bred by Mervyn and Danielle Clarke and purchased by Mirdad when the mare was in foal. He is being produced for the inspection by leading young horse trainer Roland Metzler in Germany.

Mirdad, who is well-known on the amateur show jumping circuit in Ireland, would like to keep the stallion for show jumping but said the interest to buy him and breed from him has been huge. Good luck in the final!