AT 4,800,000gns, Barnavara topped a historic day at Tattersalls on Tuesday, which became the highest-grossing day in European auction history, with total sales of 57,695,415gns. A mysterious online bidder signing as Sugar Whiskey Trading delivered the final bid for Jessica Harrington’s Prix de l’Opera heroine, who became the highest-priced filly in training in the world this year, beating the 4,500,000gns record set by Porta Fortuna earlier in the night.

The Irish-trained fillies were the most expensive of 11 lots to sell for a million or more on the night, matching the previous record set at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale. The session’s average price of 287,042gns marked a 4% increase on last year’s figure, while the median dropped by 8% to 110,000gns.

“What a buzz!” an elated Harrington said after Baroda Stud sold the Alpha Racing-owned star. “Jeepers, I promise you, that was more than my wildest dreams, it really was. We all get excited, and thought she might make three [million], but… It started really slowly, and got stuck at 1,500,000gns, and then it went on, and on, and on, and on. It’s amazing.”

With the online bidder still unidentified, Harrington reflected: “Yulong usually bid online. I better try to keep her! There’s a lot in the tank; we thought she was only just growing into herself, she just kept improving all year. She’s a very big filly, but she’s an amazing filly, she really is.

“You’ve seen how big she is, but she actually won her maiden in May. And then we ran her in listed and group races and she kept getting placed. She just wasn’t quite finishing out her races and she probably went through a little bit of a weak stage. Her first run this year wasn’t good, it just didn’t happen, and then it all came together. It was extraordinary from then on.”

On the subject of Barnavara’s owners, Harrington continued: “They’re amazing. Alpha Racing was set up by my son-in-law [Richie Galway], Patrick Cooper and Legs Lawlor, with the plan to buy yearlings, race them, have fun and sell them, and hopefully, wash our face every year.

“It’s been incredibly lucky; we’ve had Kinesiology, we’ve had Cadillac, we’ve had some good horses along the line that we’ve sold, and everyone’s had fun doing it. A lot of the syndicate are here today, three people came from America. In this one, there are 12 shares.”

Adding to the enjoyment of Barnavara’s sale was that the filly was sold by Baroda Stud, owned by the Harrington’s close friends, Tamso Doyle and David Cox. After enjoying their best result in the ring, David Cox commented: “It is great for the syndicate. I have two friends in it myself – they love racing.

“Dad had not been too well and so I told them to get involved and have some fun – they have had the time of their lives and they can't believe it. The win in France that is number one for them, and they are delighted with tonight. Everyone has got a big kick out of it – Patrick [Cooper] and Richie [Galway] buying her, Adrian at home who rides her out, it is big team.”

Bred by Andriy Milovanov and Victor Tymoshenko, the daughter of Calyx was bought by BBA Ireland’s Patrick Cooper at the Goffs Orby Sale for €70,000. She went on to win five of her 13 starts, including wins at listed, Group 3, Group 2 and Group 1 level.

JOHN O’Kelly received a standing ovation from a packed Tattersalls sales ring after selling his final lot as a Tattersalls auctioneer, and what a way to sign off, as he dropped the hammer in favour of MV Magnier at 4,500,000gns for four-time Group 1 winner Porta Fortuna.

The price is the highest paid for a filly in training in the world this year, and marks a successful end to the amazing journey Donnacha O’Brien’s stable star has taken her US owners on. Her purchase by Coolmore also marks a new chapter for Starspangledbanner, following a career-best season, as it is he who is being strongly considered as her first cover at stud.

MV Magnier began by complimenting Porta Fortuna’s young trainer, saying: “In fairness to Donnacha, he’s done an incredible job with her and well done to him. She was a very, very good filly, she was very talented.

“We’ve been putting a good bit of thought into it and there’s a good chance that she might go to Starspangledbanner. He’s such an under-rated stallion, it’s unbelievable.”

Mark McStay purchased the daughter of Caravaggio privately on behalf of Medallion Racing, Steve Weston, Reeves Thoroughbreds and Barry Fowler. When asked for his reaction to Tuesday’s sale, the agent replied: “I’ve had worse days at the office.”

Tamfana brings 2,600,000gns

Quantum Leap Racing was another owner to celebrate a big payday when selling last year’s Sun Chariot Stakes winner Tamfana to MV Magnier for 2,600,000gns.

“She’s a very good filly,” Magnier said of the three-time group winner. “We bought her mother in Deauville last year [for €1,400,000]. David Menuisier did a very good job with her. We’ll probably send her to Justify.”

Bought by Jeremy Brummitt at BBAG as a yearling for €20,000 and sent to David Menuisier, Tamfana announced herself as an exciting prospect when bolting up by nine and a half lengths in a Kempton maiden in October of her two-year-old year. The daughter of Soldier Hollow won a Chantilly Group 3 next time and got within a length of classic glory when finishing fourth in the 1000 Guineas.

Beaten three parts of a length next time in the Prix de Diane, she returned to winning ways in a Group 3 at Sandown before conquering the highest level at Newmarket. Third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on her season finale, her best effort as a four-year-old was finishing second at Group 2 level.

Hillen takes the reins

MV Magnier employed Stephen Hillen, buyer of Via Sistina and a reknowned form expert, to unearth a filly with a bright future and the agent selected Saqqara Sands. Hillen’s opening bid of 1,000,000gns signalled his intentions and eventually brought the hammer down at 2,100,000gns, before signing alongside Magnier and Michael Tabor.

“I really liked her runs at Goodwood,” Hillen said of the Ralph Beckett-trained three-year-old, who was offered by her owner/breeders’ Oakgrove Stud. “She’ll go to America. I think she’ll be good on a turning track and there’s plenty of races for her there.

“She’s run to a Timeform rating of 110; that’s usually good enough to win Grade 1s in America. There’s lots of money there and she’s still young.”

As to whether a trainer had been selected for the dual stakes winner, Hillen transferred decision-making responsibilities to Magnier and Tabor. “They’ll make training plans but I’m very lucky to be able to buy her. It was plenty of money for her but she’s got a good shot.”

CHOISYA, the first of four top-flight winners catalogued at Tuesday’s Sceptre Sessions, had exceeded expectations on the track and did the same in the sales ring, bringing 2,000,000gns from Anthony Stroud.

Stroud left it late to enter the fray with a bid of 1,700,000gns, with Billy Jackson-Stopps having set the early pace, and Mark McStay looking the likely buyer for some way. After the gavel fell in his favour, Stroud revealed he had purchased Simon and Ed Crisford’s Grade 1 winner on behalf of an overseas client, but not Godolphin.

A stud career beckons for the daughter of Night Of Thunder, who gained her first blacktype placing in the spring of her four-year-old campaign and progressed to win a listed race that August. Back-to-back Group 2s followed in Meydan this year and the Rabbah Racing homebred followed up in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland, where she was last seen finishing third in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes.

The nature of her career adds to the satisfaction, Ed Crisford later said. “I was talking about it earlier; it is nice to see them come through the ranks like that. Even as a four-year-old, she won a listed race and came out the back in a Group 3, but she just wasn’t quite there yet.

“When we took her out to Dubai and to that American style of racing, she just loved it, it was the key to her. The quick ground and the turns and the bends. That was the spark that pulled her forward.”

Reflecting on Tuesday’s sale, Crisford added: “She was a lovely race mare and her owner, Mr Nabouda was delighted with her career and felt that now was the time to sell her. We’re delighted with the result.”

Resolute returns

John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock was a major force at last year’s sale and equivalent rival auctions, but has quietened since, going as far as to switch to the role of seller at US sales this autumn/winter.

It therefore came as a surprise when Resolute Bloodstock appeared on the docket alongside David Redvers for exciting juvenile Pintara, for whom Redvers outbid Michel Zerolo at 1,800,000gns.

Trained by Ralph Beckett for breeder Ballylinch Stud and partners, the daughter of Pinatubo was added as a wildcard by Alex Elliott’s Imperium Sales after making it two from two with a three-and-a-half-length listed win at Newmarket a month ago.