WHILE Irish riders weren’t present at week two of the Doha Tour in the United Arab Emirates, Irish-bred horses made their mark.

The 12-year-old chesnut Irish Sport Horse mare Maxwin Kinmar Agalux, bred in Co Monaghan by Gerrard Marron and ridden by Thailand’s Janakabhorn Karunayadhaj, recorded an impressive fourth place finish in Saturday’s 1.55m four-star Grand Prix in Doha. The mare is by Aganix Du Seigneur (SBS) out of Kinmar Lux Good (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN).

Last Thursday, Irish Sport Horse Galwaybay Merbreaker, a 14-year-old chesnut gelding (Mermus R x Heartbreaker) bred by Justin Burke, ridden by Qatar’s Mohammed Nasser S A A Al Qadi came third in the two-star 1.20m Special Two-Phase class, while in the four-star 1.40m Special Two-Phase class, France’s Louise Sadran rode Pegasus Dawsons Flex (Flex A Bill x Kildalton Gold) into second place – this 11-year-old bay gelding was bred by Victor Bennett in Co Wickow. The latter pair went on to place seventh in Saturday’s four-star 1.40m Immediate Jump-off class.

Karunayadhaj rode Maxwin Kinmar Agalux into sixth place in the four-star 1.45m Two-Phase class and they also placed ninth in Friday’s four-star 1.50m Jump-off class.