Alpha Racing's Barnavara (Calyx) became the new sale topper at Tattersalls December's Sceptre Sessions at 4.8 million gns. She was bought online by Sugar Whiskey Trading, believed to be an associate of Ace Stud. Henry Lascelles, on the phone, was a determined underbidder on the Baroda Stud-consigned filly.
Sold as lot 1753, the three-year-old daughter of Calyx captured the G1 Prix de l'Opera this autumn, after taking the G2 Blandford stakes in September for trainer Jessica Harrington.
The daughter of Alfea (Kentucky Dynamite) was bred by Andriy Milovonov and V. Tymoshenko. BBA Ireland picked her out of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale Book 1 for €70,000.
Also a winner of the G3 Jannah Rose Stakes and the Listed Kooyonga Stakes this season, Barnavara is from the same family as Lope De Vega.
Said Harrington, “Some buzz! I promise you, that was more than my wildest dreams. We all get excited and said, 'oh, she might make three [million]. But what did she even make? 4.8 million? It was stuck at 1.5 million and then it went on and on and on and on. I promise you, it's amazing. Best of luck. Yulong usually bid online – I better try to keep her! There's a lot in the tank still. We thought that she was only just growing into herself because she went on improving all year. She's a very big filly – she's an amazing filly, she really is.
“The Alpha Racing Syndicate was set up by my son-in-law Richie Galway, Patrick Cooper and Legs [Elaine] Lawlor. We set it up to buy yearlings, race them and have fun and hopefully wash our faces every year. But it has been incredibly lucky. We've had Kinesiology, Cadillac and a lot of good horses. Everyone has had fun doing it and a lot of the syndicate members are here today. Even three people came from America. It's amazing.”
4,800,000gns makes Barnavara the highest priced filly in training in the world this year, going the way of Sugar Whiskey Trading.
Last seen winning the Gr.1 Prix de l'Opera for @Jessica_Racing, she was consigned by @BarodaStudIre at the #TattsDecember Mares Sale. pic.twitter.com/nCus6egqAI
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) December 2, 2025
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