Rath An Iuir boosts his sale value with late surge by O’Brien

Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill continued their fine start to the season when Rath An Iuir, placed on his two starts last term, surged to the front on the line to beat the likely looking winner Passageaway in the Costello Family four-year-old maiden.

Rath An Iuir, who is a half-brother to four-time track winner Insignia, was bought by his handler at the 2016 Land Rover sale for €62,000.
“This horse was babyish last year and he was weak too,” said Bowe. “He is a lovely horse that has improved and he will now be sold after that.”

Five-horse trainer Heather Kiernan, on the mark at her local Castletown-Geoghegan meeting seven days earlier with Presentingprincess, continued her rich vein of form by saddling Cubanera to land the Rosshill Farm Stud, The Thatch Bar, Oranmore and KCL Building Contractors five-year-old-and-upwards mares’ maiden.