A total of 340 yearlings were catalogued Tuesday and Wednesday, considerably more than at last year's Houghton auction, with 301 going through the ring, 222 selling for 33,499,000 guineas. The average came to 150,896 guineas and the median 110,000 guineas.

With no direct comparison possible, the market can be best described as solid but patchy. Coolmore and the Maktoums had far less battles for yearlings and only one over the two days realized more than a million guineas.

The top price Wednesday was a more modest 700,000 guineas, though 31 lots went for 200,000 guineas or more. The day saw 112 yearlings sold for 16,932,000 guineas, an average of 151,178 guineas and a median of 120,000 guineas.

First season stallion Galileo took the limelight, with the Coolmore stallion being responsible for three of the eight highest hips on Wednesday.

A colt by Galileo out of the group I Kris mare Balisada made 700,000 guineas after being offered from Anthony Oppenheimer's Hascombe Stud.

Agent Charlie Gordon-Watson outlasted Coolmore's John Magnier on behalf of owner Saeed Suhail.

A colt by Sadler's Wells, heading for his 14th European sire title, also proved in demand. The half-brother to the group I winning pair Compton Admiral and Summoner came from Lloyd-Webber's
Watership Down Stud.

Magnier triumphed this time at 580,000 guineas and he also snapped up a Galileo colt for 420,000 guineas. The vendor was Camas Park Stud and Timmy Hyde, the stud's owner, had found the yearling at the 2003 Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 280,000 guineas.

Coolmore directly signed for nine valued at 2,165,000 guineas, with Gordon-Watson coming out on top by purchasing 12 for 2,305,000 guineas. John Ferguson, acting for Sheikh Mohammed, bought plenty as usual, albeit at a lower level, taking 11 for 2,080,000 guineas Wednesday.

Breeders' Cup Mile winner War Chant   had a few catalogued and there was demand for a half-sister to this year's group I Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Bachelor Duke. The buyer was agent Margaret O'Toole for 400,000 guineas, outbidding Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager Angus Gold. She was acting for Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary.