ALTHOUGH he never raced because of an injury, Pillar Coral has a top-class pedigree and this attractive bay, standing 16.2 hands, has already had plenty of support in his first two seasons at stud.
He is located in Co Waterford, at the Kilbarry Lodge Stud of Con and Claire O’Keeffe, where he and Diamond Boy have been joined this year by Joshua Tree and Success Days. A colt foal from Pillar Coral’s first crop was bought by Aiden Murphy at the Fairyhouse November Sale last year for €13,000.
Pillar Coral’s sire Zamindar, an own-brother to champion Zafonic, was one of the best two-year-olds in France in 1996 and he sired several classic winners, notably Zarkava, a champion at both two and three years whose five Group 1 wins included the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Prix de Diane, and the dual champion Darjina. Zamindar’s brother Zafonic sired Iffraaj, whose best sons are Ribchester and Wootton Bassett.
Coraline, the dam of Pillar Coral, is a winning daughter of Sadler’s Wells who comes from one of the best Juddmonte families and she has already produced three very successful jumping sires in France.
Her grey son Martaline (Linamix) won the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil and the Group 3 Prix d’Hedouville, before becoming one of the leading sires of NH winners in France, his big race winners including dual Grade 1 star Disko and Dynaste, who won the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Martaline’s own-brother Reefscape was a top-class stayer among whose successes was the Group 1 Prix du Cadran, while he was second in the Ascot Gold Cup. He is a Grade 1 sire. Their sibling Coastal Path (Halling) was a European champion three-year-old stayer in 2007, scoring in the Group 2 Prix Hubert de Chaudenay, and he was third in the Ascot Gold Cup. His best winners are double Grade 1 hurdle’s star Bacardys and Asterion Forlonge.
Wemyss Bight, a half-sister of Coraline, won the Irish Oaks in 1993 before becoming the dam of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Beat Hollow (a leading sire) and she was a half-sister to Hope, the dam of champion sprinter and outstanding sire Oasis Dream.
Zenda, a half-sister by Pillar Coral’s sire Zamindar to Oasis Dream, won the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas and she is the dam of European champion miler Kingman, an outstanding young sire of the present day.
PILLAR CORAL (GB), Bay 2014. Unraced.
Retired to Stud in 2018, first crop now yearlings.
Stands at: Kilbarry Lodge Stud, Waterford X91 D206, Ireland
Contact: Con or Claire O’Keeffe
Telephone: +353 (0) 51 373184
Email: kilbarrylodgestud@gmail.com
Web: www.kilbarrylodgestud.ie
Fee: Colt €1500, Filly €500