‘That was more than my wildest dreams!’ – Barnavara tops Tattersalls December Mares Sale at 4.8 million
Fast-improving filly Barnavara (Calyx) – who delivered Jessica Harrington a breakthrough elite-level win in the Prix de l’Opera (Gr 1, 2400m) – added another extraordinary chapter to her story on Tuesday evening when topping the Tattersalls December Mares Sale at 4,800,000gns (approx. AU$10.18 million).
Consigned by Baroda Stud, Barnavara became the highest-priced filly in training sold anywhere in the world this year. The three-year-old was a three-time stakes winner before her elite-level triumph. An anonymous online bidder secured the filly under the name Sugar Whiskey Trading.
“What a buzz!” Harrington said. “I promise you that was more than my wildest dreams, it really was. It got stuck at 1,500,000 guineas and then it went on and on and on and on. It’s amazing.”
With the buyer choosing to remain unidentified, Barnavara’s future direction remains unclear, but Harrington is convinced her best is still ahead.
“There’s a lot in the tank with her, we thought she was only just growing into herself because she went on improving all year,” she said. “She’s an amazing filly, she really is…everything just came together, it was extraordinary from then on.”
Barnavara cost €70,000 when BBA Ireland bought her at the 2023 Goffs Orby Sale. She is the third foal out of Alfea (Kentucky Dynamite) whose pedigree traces back to Group 1 performers Danceteria (Redoute’s Choice) and Lope De Vega (Shamardal).
Coolmore secure four-time Group-1 winner Porta Fortuna
MV Magnier ensured champion filly Porta Fortuna (Caravaggio) would join the Coolmore broodmare band when signing at 4,500,000gns (approx. AU$9.63 million) for the multiple Group 1 winner after a tense bidding duel at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale on Tuesday.
“In fairness to Donnacha [O’Brien, trainer] he’s done an incredible job with her,” Magnier said. “She’s a very good filly, very talented, she’s got loads of quality so let’s hope she can breed something similar. We’ve put a good bit of thought into which stallion she might visit and there’s a good chance that she could go to Starspangledbanner. He’s such an underrated stallion that it’s unbelievable, he’s turned out to be very good.”
Porta Fortuna was offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency. She won eight races across three seasons, including Group 1 triumphs in the Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f), Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m), Falmouth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m), and Matron Stakes (Gr 1, 1m).
Her juvenile season featured victories in the Naas Fillies Sprint (Gr 3, 6f) and Albany Stakes (Gr 2, 6f), while an exceptional three-year-old campaign earned her the title of Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, making her the first winner of that award ever sold as a horse in training.
“It was great that she sold well,” O’Brien said. “I’m delighted that Coolmore and MV got her. She’s happy and healthy and all her owners got a great price for her.”
Porta Fortuna is out of Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) mare Too Precious, a four-time winner and sister to triple Group 2 victor Numerian.
Arrowfield for to 1.3 million guineas for Too Darn Hot half-sister
Arrowfield Stud landed one of the headline acts at the second Sceptre Session of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale on Tuesday, going to 1.3 million guineas (approx. AU$2.82 million) to secure Chere Darmoiselle (Kingman) a half-sister to champion sire Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) out of triple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (Singspiel).
Offered by Watership Down Stud, who bred and raced Too Darn Hot, the unraced four-year-old mare was presented in foal to leading French stallion Zarak (Dubawi).
“We will leave her here to foal and bring her home in the autumn which will be spring at home,” Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer said.
“She has been bought for The Autumn Sun, who we stand. We are big fans of Too Darn Hot, we are sending him half a dozen mares this year. We love that family and the opportunity to buy a filly out of the family was too good to resist. We were stretched to do it, we were hoping to buy her a fraction less than that, but the ones with those sort of pedigrees you really have to stretch for and I am pleased we did.
“We’re all about getting these mares with these families and we will probably keep all the daughters going forward.”
The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) has enjoyed a standout spring, headlined by unbeaten mare Autumn Glow winning both the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), while three-year-old colt Autumn Boy claimed the $3 million Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
“He is now the leading sire, and he is going to be an important stallion, and with her line, the Kingman line, we can hopefully breed a stallion for the future,” Freyer added.