Barnavara Lands Group 1 Victory For Calyx At Longchamp

Barnavara (3f Calyx - Alfea, by Kentucky Dynamite) became the first European Group 1 winner for her late sire when landing the Prix de l’Opera in determined fashion at Longchamp on Sunday.

The Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old has been the model of consistency throughout her career and was making her top-level breakthrough after an emphatic score in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh last month.

Ridden by Shane Foley, the daughter of Calyx made a bold show in front and repelled the fast-finishing challengers to strike by a short neck in the mile-and-a-quarter contest. In third was One Look (by Gleneagles).

Foley said of the high-class Barnavara: “This was always my main ride today, I was looking forward to this filly

“She’s improved all year, she’s a very good filly and she showed that today. She wears her heart on her sleeve and does it the hard way.

“She’s only really just filling into her frame, she was that size as a two-year-old. She’s a big girl and she’s really maturing now, learning how to relax and race.”

Calyx's first top-level scorer came when Sepals landed last month's Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.

Barnavara was bred by Mr Andriy Milovonov and V Tymoshenko.