IN eight years of the Irish Breeders’ Classic, the prestigious class has been won by two horses who went on to become Lanaken young horse world champions, and all previous winners have gone on to have successful careers in the sport up to 1.50m level.

Harry Marshall was the winner of the inaugural class back in 2012 with the five-year-old mare Bens Lady Lex (Lux Z x Cavalier Royale), who was bred in Co Longford by Anne Marie Blessington. A catch ride at the time, the now 13-year-old mare went on to have big success nationally and internationally under Shannon MacKenzie, including winning the one-star Grand Prix at Cavan International in 2017.