Bred by Charles Colyear (1700-1785), 2nd Earl of Portmore, Brilliant was sold as a two year old to William Crofts (1711-1770) of West Harling, Norfolk. Mr Crofts was an early member of the Jockey Club and said to be a mentor on the turf to Sir Charles Bunbury, the owner of the first Derby winner Diomed (ch c 1777 Florizel) who lived in neighbouring Suffolk. Sir Charles raced several of Brilliant's offspring.

Brilliant ran from 1754 to 1757 under the colours of William Crofts, winning seven of his starts. A portrait taken of what appears to be his final race in 1757 shows him finishing fourth to Mr Curzon's Jason (gr c 1749 Old Standard).

Both portraits clearly show Brilliant's buckskin coat colour, which he probably inherited from his second dam Silverlocks (d f 1725 Bald Galloway) whose maternal grand sire was the Acaster Turk (gr c 1695c). Acaster Turk appears to have been a source of the dilution gene for palomino and buckskin. Silverlocks may also have inherited the gene from her great great grand dam Charming Jenny, by Spanker, the latter by Darcy's Yellow Turk, although a possibly alternate pedigree for Silverlocks, given in Lord Godolphin's stud book, notes that she was "own sister to Roxana, by the Bald Galloway, her dam by the Acaster Turk, out of a mare that Sir William Lowther vallued much" [Royal Studs:139]. Whilst the General Stud Book records these buckskin coloured horses as "duns" the gene for dun colour has never been available in the thoroughbred race horse.

He went directly into the stud following his final race, covering at Epsom, Surrey, from 1757 to 1763, except for the 1761 season when he stood at Richmond, Yorkshire. From 1764 to 1772 he stood at Crofts's farm in West Harling, where he commanded a fee of 10 guineas, double his previous fee. His stock was said to be generally of good size and handsome. A success as a stallion, he got numerous good runners, including the noteworthy Bellario and Don Dun, but his legacy is perhaps more due to his daughters.

An unnamed daughter, Sister to Gem, (b f 1767) was the dam of Crookshanks (b c 1777 Florizel) who twice won the Doncaster Cup, and the 2nd dam of the useful stallion Hutchinson's Weazle (b c 1776 King Herod). It is mainly through Sister to Gem that Brilliant is seen in modern pedigrees. Another unnamed daughter, Brilliant Mare* (f 1770), was sent to South Carolina. She foaled the dam of Alston's Brilliant (b c 1797 Marplot*), the sire of Sumpter's Copper Bottom (bl c 1790).

Notable Offspring

Antelope (GB)

bu c 1760 (Brilliant - Mare, by Bumper). Sire Line Alcock's Arabian. Family 27. Antelope, owned by William Everett of Newmarket, was described as a beautiful, strong, substantial horse. Racing from 1763 to 1767 he recorded victories in seven King's Plates along with three other wins. His Royal Plates came at Burford, Lichfield, Guildford (walk-over), Winchester, Canterbury, Lewes and Salisbury. He later covered at Thomas Stamford's at Newmarket for a fee of three guineas. His best known son was Colonel Hunt's Gem (bu c 1770) who won the 120 guineas Hunters' Stakes at Chelmsford and the King's Plate at Canterbury in 1776.

Bellario (GB)

b c 1763 (Brilliant - Miss Slamerkin, by Whittington. Sire Line Alcock's Arabian. Family 7. Owned by Sir Charles Bunbury, he was a durable and consistent runner with his turf career spanning five years. He was one of the few to face such opponents as the mighty Eclipse (ch c 1764 Marske) and the legendary Gimcrack (gr c 1760 Cripple). In 1767 Bellario won a 200gs match at Newmarket from Lord Bolingbroke's Conumdrum (b c 1762 Matchem). Won a 20 gs each subscription at Newmarket in September, beating Lord Grosvenor's Cardinal Puff (gr c 1760 Babraham). Walked over for an 85gs subscription at Euston. Won a 5gs each subscription at Newmarket, beating the Duke of Bridgewater's Honest Billy (gr c 1763 Newcombe's Arabian). In 1768 he won a 100gs each sweepstakes at Newmarket in April, beating Lord Bolingbroke's Darling (bl c 1763 Snap). Won 155gs at Newmarket in October, beating Lord Grosvenor's Icarus (b c 1763 Snap). In 1769 he won a 300gs match at Newmarket First Spring from Lord Rockingham's Monkey (br c 1764 Godolphin Arabian). Won a 300gs match at Newmarket Second Spring from Lord Rockingham's Pilgrim (bl c 1762 Sampson). Won 155gs at the same meeting, beating Lord Grosvenor's Ancient Pistol (b c 1764 Snap). Won a 25gs each subscription at the same meeting beating Mr Vernon's Marquis (b c 1761 Godolphin Colt). Won a 20gs each subscription at Newmarket First October, beating Mr Shafto's Poacher (b c 1765 Young Cade). Won a Fifty at Newmarket Second October, beating Lord Grosvenor's Cardinal Puff. In 1770 he won a Fifty at Newmarket First Spring, beating Mr Blake's Snipe (b c 1762 Snap). Won the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket Second Spring, beating Mr Fettyplace's Nabob (bl c 1762 Brilliant). Finished 3rd for the Great Subscription at York, won by Eclipse (ch c 1764 Marske). Won a 20gs each subscription at Newmarket First October, beating Mr Shafto's Petruchio (br c 1762 Snap). In 1771 he won a 300gs match at Newmarket from Mr Pigot's Freedom (b c 1767 Squirrel). Won the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket Second Spring, beating Lord Ossory's Fabius (ch c 1764 Posthumus). Won a 300gs match at Newmarket in July from Mr Pigot's Freedom. Most of his offsrping are attributed to Sir Charles Bunbury and include the runners Philaster (br c 1773), Whirlwind (b c 1773), Borascha (b c 1774) and Boots (b c 1775).

Don Dun (GB)

[Dun Don] b c 1769 (Brilliant - Regulus Tartar, by Regulus). Sire Line Alcock's Arabian. Family 3. He is recorded as a bay in the General Stud Book [GSB 1:171] although his portrait clearly shows a bright buckskin colour. Bred in Sussex he was purchased by Frederick Howard (1748-1825), 5th Earl of Carlisle, in whose colours he ran in 1773. He was then sold to Mr R Belson who ran him until the end of 1775 when he became the property of Richard Grosvenor (1731-1802), 1st Earl Grosvenor. In 1773 Lord Carlisle's Don Dun won a £50 plate at Ascot Heath beating Mr Watson's Molly Spindle (ch f 1769 Latham's Snap) and started for the Craven Stakes which was won by Firetail (b c 1769 Squirrel). In 1774 Mr Belson's Don Dun won a £50 plate given by the Duke of Richmond at Lewes beating the Duke of Richmond's Dardanelles, won a fifty at Reading beating Mr Tilbury's Bagshot Lady, the Duke of Bolton's Cobscar (b c 1769 Bell's Arabian) and Lord Clermont's Chaffinch (br c 1768 Matchem), won a fifty at Egham beating Mr Adams's Zamora (b c 1768 Tatler) and Mr Wildman's Wanton (gr c 1769 Matchem), as well as fifties at Andover, Bath and Maidenhead. In 1775 he was unplaced for a fifty at Newmarket First Spring won by Mrs Binfield's Counsellor [Towzer] (ch c 1768 Alcides), won a fifty at the same meeting beating Mr Hay's Pyrois (ch c 1769 Matchem), won the Royal Plate at Guildford beating Mr Duggins's Pegasus (ch c 1769 Engineer) and Mr Wildman's Wanton, finished 2nd for the Royal Plate at Winchester won by the Duke of Cumberland's Contractor (ch c 1769 King Herod) beating Mr Bertie's Paddy Whack (ch c 1769 Julius Caesar), won a 100 gs match at Newmarket Second October from Mr Carver's Pincher (ch c 1765 Shakespeare), finished 3rd for a fifty at Newmarket won by Mrs Binfield's Counsellor, with Lord Farnham's Brim [ex-Soubrette] (b f 1771 Squirrel) placing 2nd beating Mr Hank's Damper (b c 1769 Spectator) and Sir C Bunbury's Wolsey (b c 1770 Squirrel). In 1776 Lord Grosvenor's Don Dun won the King's Plate at Newmarket First Spring beating Sir J Shelley's Whiteleather (b c 1770 Snap), Mr Vernon's Atalanta (ch f 1769 Matchem), Lord Farnham's Ainderby (b c 1769 Matchem), the Duke of Grafton's Lamplighter (ch c 1769 Antinous) and Mr Joseph Sutton's Tartar, finished 2nd for a 100 gs each sweepstakes won by Mr Walker's Twig beating Mr Fox's Hercules, won a 100 gs match at Newmarket Second October from Lord Abingdon's Dulcinea. Don Dun left no relevant offspring.