Cherry stain does rely upon the natural reddish tones of the cherry wood to enrich the color. Cherry stain is generally a lighter reddish color compared to some of the mahogany stain finishes. A good piece of mahogany generally finishes well with just clear applied, although it won't come out real dark and reddish without stain enhancement. This is why I mentioned mixing a cherry and mahogany stain together, although a good, plain mahogany stain woks well also. Here's a stain chart to look at:
EDIT TO ADD: You could still use a clear filler if you wanted to eliminate the open pore showing after you clear coat. In fact, it is preferred that you stain first, then fill the pore as the stains will most likely not penetrate the pore filler if it's applied before hand. That wouldn't look good at all.
Ah, nothing relieves the discomfort of GAS pains like the sound of the UPS truck rumbling down your street. It's like the musician's Beano.
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