Pillar Coral sires second four-year-old winner inside a week

Trained by Mattie Flynn O’Connor and ridden by Andrew Kennedy, the four-year-old looked likely to fill minor honours approaching the final fence before the strongly-travelling Asamahleroffact crashed out at the last, badly hampering Cool Companion in the process.

 

Left in front, Frompillartopost showed admirable battling qualities on the run-in to fend off the late challenge of Divinator by a length, with Greenbrider a further one-and-a-half lengths away in third.

 

Although ultimately benefiting from the late drama, the son of Pillar Coral had still shaped with considerable promise and looked likely to finish a respectable third before being left in front at the final obstacle.

 

Flynn O’Connor admitted the gelding had taken a step forward from his two previous outings, having only arrived into the yard shortly before his Ballycrystal debut in March.

 

“He’s a grand honest horse,” he said.

 

“I probably hadn’t him fit enough the first day because I’d only got him a short time.

 

“He’s a lovely horse to look at, a big horse with plenty of bone and a very good temperament.”

 

The handler added that he would have no hesitation in taking another by the stallion in the future.

 

“That’s the first one I’ve had and I’d definitely take another one.

 

“If I got another model like him, I would have him. He’s very genuine and every day he ran, he gave me his best.”

 

Frompillartopost is now set to head to next week’s Goffs UK Doncaster Sale.

 

The Necarne success came less than a week after North Tipp provided Pillar Coral with his first winner since relocating to Killisk Farm in January when making an impressive winning debut in the opening division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Dawstown.

 

The Denis Paul Murphy-trained four-year-old travelled strongly into contention under Shane Cotter before taking up the running ahead of two out and quickening clear after the last to beat fellow newcomer Orderly Watch by three-and-a-half lengths.

 

Murphy was particularly taken by the performance afterwards and believes there is more to come from the gelding.

 

“I’d like him a lot. He goes very well and you’ll hear plenty of him,” he said.

 

“He’s a very good-looking horse and he has a very good temperament as well.”

 

North Tipp has already been sold privately following his Dawstown success.

 

Murphy himself had already become a notable supporter of the stallion after producing Maverick Mack, who was only denied by a short-head on debut in a strong Tullaherin four-year-old maiden last spring before selling for €40,000 and later going on to win a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park for Gordon Elliott.

 

The Murphy family was sufficiently impressed by Pillar Coral’s stock that Denis’ daughter Bernice subsequently sent one of her own mares to the stallion.

 

“If you were offered more of them, you’d definitely take them,” Murphy added.

 

The Juddmonte-bred Pillar Coral is an unraced half-brother to leading National Hunt sires Martaline and Coastal Path, while the wider family also includes Group 1 performers Reefscape, Beat Hollow, Oasis Dream, Kingman and New Bay.

 

Having already supplied four individual point-to-point winners last season, including Rosa Diaz, the son of Zamindar had begun to establish momentum prior to his move from Kilbarry Lodge Stud.

Pillar Coral now stands alongside established National Hunt sire Racinger and dual Group 1-placed miler Tip Two Win as part of the growing stallion roster at Nickey and Niamh Murphy’s Killisk Farm near Enniscorthy.