Barnavara became the third Irish-trained Group 1 winner on Arc day when making all the running to win the Prix de l'Opera for trainer Jessica Harrington and jockey Shane Foley.
The 9/1 shot had to dig very deep in the closing stages to hang on for a short-neck success over See The Fire. Paddy Twomey's One Look was a short-head away in third, followed by Wemightakedlongway, Grand Stars and Tamfana all very close behind.
BARNAVARA WINS THE GROUP ONE LONGINES PRIX DE L’OPERA! ??????#QPAT pic.twitter.com/EmTzWFiZYm
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 5, 2025
Barnavara was placed in three group races as a juvenile and looked to be no more than Group 3 class when finishing a close third in the Athasi Stakes at the Curragh in early May.
However, she began to thrive through the summer months, winning a listed race, Group 3 and Group 2 before heading to Paris. A step up in trip to 10 furlongs has also seen her improve, despite her pedigree.
A daughter of Calyx, who was a sprinter, Barnavara is out of an unraced mare by Kentucky Dynamite, a high-class miler trained in France in 2006. Barnavara was bought for €70,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale and races for Alpha Racing, a syndicate put together by the Harrington stable.
The mare has been entered for the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.


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