Goldana was the subject of positive reports at a recent press morning at Joseph O’Brien’s yard, having been recruited from Germany, and she got off to the perfect start for her new connections by taking the Gladness Stakes, run in memory of Lester Piggott at the Curragh.

Settled into a share of second by Dylan Brown McMonagle, just in behind the favourite Mea Domina, the daughter of Galileo Gold initially took a while to pick up and chase down the leader, but once she got going, she was a comfortable winner at the line, scoring by a length and three quarters.

Considering she won a listed contest over nine furlongs previously, there was a lot to like about the way she got it done here over seven furlongs, particularly with both the second and third having race fitness on side.

“It’s a great race to win,” said O’Brien. “I’m delighted for the owners. She looks like a nice filly going forward. She had form on slower ground in Germany and this is a nice way to start the season, with a Group 3 win - she had a listed win already.

“We bought her in Arqana last year through Stuart Bowman. She is a sister to Love Reigns, who is a smart filly of Wesley Ward's, so she has a pedigree.

“The race set up well for Dylan. She won her listed race over nine furlongs so she probably will stay a little further. It looked like she got a little outpaced once they quickened up but she came good in the last 100 yards.”

This was the crowning jewel on a very nice day for the O'Brien family, with Aidan taking the Alleged Stakes with Point Lonsdale and the opening two-year-old maiden with Democracy, and Donnacha also taking the two-year-old fillies maiden with Porta Fortuna, who ran in the colours of mother Annemarie.