Naas, one of the most progressive tracks in Ireland, held another quality flat card on Saturday where the star of the show was Aidan O’Brien’s Magical.

The daughter of Galileo had a stop-start season last year until she won the Group 1 Champions Fillies and Mares at Ascot and then gave Enable a huge fright in the Breeders Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in November.

She returned in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes and made light work of what was a top quality field, coming clear by four and a half lengths. Flag Of Honour, the Irish St Leger winner, was in second, while the Irish Derby winner Latrobe came through for third.

Magical is likely to contest all the big Group 1s this season and her next target will either be the Mooresbridge Stakes, held on the first day of racing under the new stand at the Curragh, or the Prix Ganay at Longchamp.

In the other Group 3 on the card, the Gladness Stakes, Imaging recorded a second win this season under Oisin Orr. As was the case for his previous win at Leopardstown, the Dermot Weld-trained colt was given a good patient ride by Orr, coming through with a perfectly-timed run to deny Joseph O’Brien’s three-year-old No Needs Never. Orr was champion apprentice two seasons ago and is making the most of the opportunities given to him by Weld so far.

Elsewhere on the card, Monarch Of Egypt, the first two-year-old to run from the first crop of American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, got off to a winning start. The $750,000 purchase could be one of the leading contenders for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Attention turns back to the National Hunt this weekend with Fairyhouse and Cork’s Easter Festivals taking central billing. As ever, the Irish Grand National is on Easter Monday.

Ted Walsh’s Cheltenham Festival winner Any Second Now currently heads the betting.