By Tom Frary
Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines had an open feel beforehand and there was a predictable bunch finish with Alpha Racing's Barnavara (Calyx) hanging on to clinch victory from See The Fire (Sea The Stars). Sent forward by Shane Foley to dictate, the Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old who had been impressive in last month's Blandford kept digging in as threats emerged on either side to prevail by a short neck at 9-1.
Less than a length covered the first five home, with One Look (Gleneagles) getting third, a short head behind See The Fire. This is an automatic qualifier for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but her trainer was hanging fire on plans. “Today was the big target and we hadn't planned beyond it,” she said. “She's kept improving throughout the year and once again today she's stepped up another level. She's a filly with a huge stride who loves to go forward and set the pace. She was really brave today and fought them all off.”
Beaten less than a length when third in the Debutante as a juvenile, the raw Barnavara only truly began to emerge as the force she is now when beating Juddmonte's talented Red Letter in Navan's Listed Kooyonga Stakes over a mile in early June. Following up in the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Jannah Rose Stakes over an extended 10 furlongs at Naas later that month, she was third under a penalty in the nine-furlong G3 Snow Fairy Stakes at The Curragh in August before getting firmly back on track on Irish Champions Weekend.
Foley obviously has a special connection with the winner and was able to ask her for the maximal effort at the right time on a day when it was more difficult to make up ground from behind. She was tiring in the final furlong as See The Fire and the Blandford runner-up One Look were getting going, but she had done just enough to get to the line in time.
“This was always my main ride today and she has improved all year,” her rider said. “She wears her heart on her sleeve and I've been saying all year she's very good–she's just learning how to relax and race now. She was a big girl at two and has matured now.”
Kate Harrington revealed that Barnavara could be up for grabs imminently. “At the end of each three-year-old season, the Alpha Syndicate usually sells its horses so she might go through the ring at the December Sale,” she said. “Her win today gives her an automatic ticket for the Filly & Mare Turf and there is also the Queen Elizabeth II Cup option in Japan, plus she's entered for the Bahrain Trophy, which carries an excellent purse–we'll let the dust settle after today and see what happens.”
“It was her first time travelling abroad and we decided to come a day early because of the storm,” she explained. “I think that extra day here really helped her. She's shown today that she can travel and adapt beautifully, which is absolutely wonderful.”
Andrew Balding and Patrick Twomey are thinking of Del Mar with the second and third. The former said of See The Fire, “She ran very well and handled the ground perfectly. She could now head to the Breeders' Cup.” Twomey added, “She lengthened beautifully in the closing stages, which makes me think she can stay a bit further. We'll consider several options, including the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, which might suit her, though nothing's decided yet. She'll probably stay in training next year.”
BARNAVARA WINS THE GROUP ONE LONGINES PRIX DE L'OPERA! 🏆🇫🇷#QPAT pic.twitter.com/EmTzWFiZYm
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 5, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Barnavara, who is her late sire's flagbearer, is out of Alfea (Kentucky Dynamite) whose family features the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club-winning leading sire Lope De Vega, the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis hero Danceteria (Redoute's Choice) and the G3 Prix de Lieurey winner and Prix de l'Opera-placed Lady Frankel (Frankel). Her yearling filly by Blackbeard was a 300,000gns purchase by Liam Norris and Huntingdon Bloodstock at Tattersalls December and will be offered again at the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1, while she also has a filly foal by St Mark's Basilica.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE L'OPERA LONGINES-G1, €500,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-5, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:05.52, vsf.
1–BARNAVARA (IRE), 123, f, 3, by Calyx (GB)
1st Dam: Alfea (GB), by Kentucky Dynamite
2nd Dam: Askania Nova (Ire), by New Approach (Ire)
3rd Dam: Bal De La Rose (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€70,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Alpha Racing; B-Andriy Milovonov & Viktor Tymoshenko; T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €285,700. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Ire, 13-5-0-5, €533,475. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–See The Fire (GB), 128, f, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Arabian Queen (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud; T-Andrew Balding. €114,300.
3–One Look (Ire), 128, f, 4, Gleneagles (Ire)–Holy Salt (GB), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€40,000 RNA Wlg '21 GOFNO1; €65,000 Ylg '22 GOFOR). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Tullpark Ltd; T-Paddy Twomey. €57,150.
Margins: SNK, SHD, SNK. Odds: 9.80, 3.40, 13.00.
Also Ran: Wemightakedlongway (Ire), Grand Stars (Ire), Tamfana (Ger), Start Of Day (GB), Nicoreni (Ger), Royal Dress (Ire), Qilin Queen (Ire), January (Ire), Merveilleux Lapin (Ire).
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