Doncaster Bloodstock Sales closed two days of strong trading at the premier yearling sale Aug. 27 with final figures well ahead of last year's successful event.
The sale's overall average on 419 horses sold was £37,111 ($61,518 in U.S. funds), marking a 14% rise on 2013, and the overall median also rose, up 8% to £27,000 ($44,757). Overall aggregate was 17% higher at £15,512,500 ($25,713,924), more than £2.2 million ahead of the 2013 total.
In all 21 yearlings sold for £100,000 ($165,762) or more, up from 16 last year. The sale topper came at the Aug. 26 first session with David Redvers' purchase of Castletown Quarry Stud's colt by Starspangledbanner for £230,000 ($380,615).
Lewyn: Starspangledbanner Colt Tops DBS Session
"This was a sale of real strength and depth, a sentiment that is only reinforced by a very solid clearance rate of 88%," said DBS managing director Henry Beeby.
"This is the sale that was built on the individual and that has not changed, but now the pedigrees match the physicals, making this a catalog that has become unmissable for all the major players."
A filly from the first crop of Canford Cliffs led trading at the second session Aug. 27, selling for £180,000 ($298,373), the sale's co-second highest price and the overall top price for a filly. Tony Nerses, racing adviser to Kuwati businessmen and racing partners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, was the winning bidder.
Manister House Stud consigned the bay filly, who was bred in Great Britain by Highclere Stud. She is the first foal from the winning Danehill Dancer mare Decorative, a half sister to two winners. The extended family includes 1993 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner and sire Arcangues, U.S. grade I winner Artiste Royal, and Forgotten Voice, who was a group III winner on the flat and won stakes over the jumps as well.
The filly was one of three Canford Cliffs yearlings to sell for more than £100,000.
Longtime premier sales supporters Peter and Ross Doyle were the sale's overall leading buyers, taking 28 yearlings for £1,472,000 ($2,440,023).
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Shadwell Estates was also active in the ring, purchasing a total of 17 yearlings for £1,420,000 ($2,353,876).
Tally Ho Stud was the overall leading consignor with 20 horses sold for £874,000 ($1,448,513).