Gleneagles Filly Wins Group 3 En Route To Guineas

Brilliant (3f Gleneagles – Plying, by Hard Spun) fuelled Classic aspirations when beating older horses in Monday’s Group 3 Park Express Stakes at the Curragh.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly twice placed at Group level as a juvenile and was well-supported ahead of the first Stakes race of the 2024 Irish turf season. She began to make headway from three furlongs out under Declan McDonogh and led approaching the final furlong. Ridden when briefly headed, she kept on well to win by half a length, with another three parts of a length back to the five-year-old favourite in third.

Speaking after the race, O’Brien said, “It's a big ask for a three-year-old against an older horse on that ground so early in the year, so we're delighted with her. That's her trial now and she will step up. She might end up going for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket before coming back here.”

Brilliant was bought by MV Magnier as a yearling for 650,000gns and is now owned by Coolmore partners with Westerberg. The daughter of Gleneagles was bred by Jossestown Farm.