Barnavara
Barnavara was good in making just about all the running to win the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday, but it may be that the quality of the performance that she put up will be a little under-rated.
Smartly away and quickly into a nice racing rhythm in front for Shane Foley, she travelled well into the home straight. She travelled best of all to the three-furlong marker, still in front, and, when her rider gave her a squeeze at the two-furlong pole, she picked up well. She set up a race-winning advantage and, while One Look closed on her a little on the run to the line, she was still three and a half lengths in front when she got there.
One Look did well to come from back in the field to get the better of Red Letter for second place, and it may be that she will be the focus of post-race analyses, but Barnavara was almost certainly the winner on merit. She made just about all the running, but she wasn’t afforded an easy lead, as evidenced by her finishing speed of just over 102% of overall speed, lower than RaceIQ’s par of over 106%. She could only finish third behind Red Letter in the Snow Fairy Stakes at The Curragh two weeks earlier, but she had beaten her by a half a length in the Kooyonga Stakes at Naas in June, and she extended that advantage here to almost six lengths over a furlong longer. She goes well on this easy ground, and this 10-furlong trip is probably her optimum. She will be of interest if she runs again between now and the end of the season.
The Curragh, 14th September 2025
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