Tallow For Coal was a winner of the four-year-old maiden at Knockanard on Sunday for Castlemartyr handler, Matt Collins (pictured above on the right with his son Pat).
The son of Arctic Cosmos was left clear at the third-last and secured a distance win over the Denis Murphy-trained What A Time.
"We had a great win on Sunday, I was expecting him to run very well. We were hoping to win rather than expecting to win."
"There are some trainers that are pessimists thinking that everything won't win, I'm one of those!"
"He's a horse that does everything right, he wouldn't be an outstanding work horse but the best racehorses aren't always the best work horses!"
"He was hardy enough to break, he's very relaxed now. Once he got the hang of it then, he was grand. He's a very straightforward horse that does everything that you ask him to do."
Collins has also been inundated with enquiries about his four-year-old since the victory on Sunday.
"I've had loads of interest in Tallow For Coal since he won, loads of it."
Tallow For Coal was ridden by James Hannon, who's parents bred the gelding, and Hannon helps out on a regular basis at the Collins' yard along with a number of other riders.
"James Hannon, Johnny Barry and James Murphy and Pat (Collins, son) do all the schooling, the lads share the rides between them."
"We would be trying to match men and horses. They all school everything, as if John Nallen had a runner, Johnny Barry wouldn't be available. Likewise if James Hannon isn't available Johnny would step in."
"I knew James' father all my life, we were reared within ten miles of each other, we'd have been in horses all our lives. Back in the day, I'd have taken a mare or two down to their place, they were always breeding horses. I would have dealt with them back along, they had a good horse before, Witness Box."
Collins also owns Latino Fling who made a very promising debut at Carrigarostig, where she finished second, and he plans to run her in the coming weeks.
"We were going to bring Latino Fling to this sale here again, she got hurt over here after being vetted. She's fine, and we've changed our minds and decided to run her again when we get a suitable race in a couple of weeks."
Based in Castlemartyr, East Co. Cork, Collins is very near some excellent schooling facilities and gallops which he takes his horses to on a regular basis.
"We have our own gallop, a three-furlong sand gallop. We have a grass hill, and that's where we work them. We have all the facilities around us then, we have Knockacool and Boulta which are two brilliant facilities. We're not short of places to go at all!"
Collins is also a tillage farmer, which he believes complements the training very well.
"I've got a tillage farm also, they complement each other well because there wouldn't be a lot going on in tillage during the peak of the point-to-point season."
"We'd start with the horses early every day, and we'd finish early. We'd be done every day by ten."
"I've a lot of spring corn to plant now which I will do myself, but I will ride out one lot every morning, but I can go away then because the lads are able to run the show."
Matt has two runners at Kildorrery on Sunday afternoon, Joe Botha and Dower Caves, both of whom Collins expects a bold display from.
He then aims to run an Imperial Monarch filly, which he holds in high regard the following weekend.
"I hope to have two runners on Sunday in Kildorrery. We have a five-year-old Getaway, he's a very nice horse, James Hannon rides him."
"We have a Court Cave horse who has been very disappointing so far, but he's in good form at the minute, James Murphy will ride him."
"We have a nice Imperial Monarch filly to run the week after."
