Porta Fortuna and Barnavara make waves at Tattersalls

Multiple Group One-winning filly Porta Fortuna sold to MV Magnier for 4.5million guineas on a high-octane evening at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in Newmarket on Tuesday.

Successful in the Albany Stakes and Coronation Stakes, the Donnacha O’Brien-trained filly was also a top-level scorer in the Cheveley Park Stakes, Falmouth Stakes and Matron Stakes.

She was seen only once this season, winning the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh in May.

“Donnacha has done an incredible job with her, she is a very good filly, she is very talented,” Magnier told Tattersalls.

“She is a lovely filly, loads of quality and talented, and hopefully she can breed one as good as her. Coming here we put a good bit of thought to it, and there is a good chance she could go to Starspangledbanner.”

Porta Fortuna momentarily held the tag of most expensive filly sold in training this year, until Jessica Harrington’s Prix de l’Opera heroine Barnavara assumed that mantle at 4.8m guineas, going to Sugar Whiskey Trading.

It appears she will stay in training, with Harrington saying: “She went on improving all year, she is a very big filly, but she is amazing. She actually won her maiden in May, then we ran her in Listed and Group races and she was getting placed and not finishing out her races and I think she was going through a little bit of a weak stage.”

In another headline sale, David Menuisier’s Sun Chariot winner Tamfana sold to Magnier for 2.6m guineas.