Pillar Of Hope

The most striking number in Pillar Of Hope's record is at Redcar, where the horse has won 2 from just 3 visits. Winning two-thirds of your races at any track is the kind of ratio that makes trainers circle that course in the diary every season. The very first career win came there on 13 September 2022, so there seems to be a genuine affinity with the place — something in the track's layout or the way the ground typically rides that suits this horse down to the ground. Speaking of ground, Pillar Of Hope is also noticeably better when conditions are soft or slightly wet, winning 2 from 3 races in those conditions — again, that two-thirds ratio is hard to ignore.

The horse is trained by P Sweeney, based up in Letterkenny, Co Donegal — not one of the big powerhouse yards you'd hear mentioned every weekend, but a team that has sent out 6 winners already this season, which shows genuine ability to get horses ready to win. The most regular partnership in the saddle is with Patrick McGettigan, who has ridden Pillar Of Hope to 2 wins from 10 races together — a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5 rides, which is a solid return and suggests the two have a decent understanding.

The most recent win came at Leopardstown in October 2025, which was only 7 months ago, meaning this is no faded force being kept going for old times' sake. The recent form reads a little flat — three runs in a row without threatening — but the horse raced just yesterday and is clearly still active and in training. At Class 4 level, which is a solid mid-tier of competition, Pillar Of Hope has won 3 from 8 races, a rate of 38%, or better than 1 in every 3 — and that's the sweet spot. Point this horse at the right track in the right conditions, and it remains a genuine contender.