Steed tops as DBS Autumn wraps up Trade continued in a similar vein on the second day of the DBS Autumn Sales and finished with a turnover of £1,632,200, an average of £5,299 and a median of £3,000 from a vastly reduced catalogue. This was matched by a clearance rate of 73% across the two days. Topping the Horses in Training section on day two was Steed, who was bought by Tom Malone for £25,000. The son of Mujahid had won since publication of the catalogue, taking his winning tally to seven and attracted interest from around the ring before Malone had the final say. The yearling trade was topped by a daughter of Piccolo who was bought by owner Ron Hull and trainer Debbie Sanderson for £22,000. The February born filly was offered by Manister House Stud and is out of a seven time winning mare who comes from the speedy family of Goggles. The second highest priced yearling was a son of Manduro who was consigned by Oaks Farm Stables and was bought by Pat Eddery for £20,000. The May born colt was out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 2 winning Arabian Gleam. Following the conclusion of the sale, DBS Managing Director Henry Beeby said: "No one has ever suggested that the DBS Autumn Sales, or its predecessors, are the most glamorous place to buy or sell but the two days fulfills a need in the calendar and we are confident that many classy performers will follow in the footsteps of the likes of former graduates Dim Sum, Amour Propre, Barizan and Overturn. We have welcomed a diverse group of buyers from across Europe and the Middle East again demonstrating the broad appeal of each DBS sale. "The Horses-In-Training returned a lively trade for the lots catalogued and, when comparing the sale with 2010, it is important to remember that last year included the annual draft from HH The Aga Khan, with a top price of £120,000, which was diverted from its traditional venue at Goffs. "That draft realised over €500,000 at Goffs on Friday and if that amount was added to the DBS Horses in Training totals the statistics would be very similar to last year when we enjoyed a jump in median of 48%. Of course, the affiliation between Goffs and DBS means that the Group still reaps the benefit of the ongoing support of HH The Aga Khan which is appreciated by the teams on both sides of The Irish Sea. "Our Yearling Sale is significantly smaller than previous years which is very much a reflection of the reducing foal crops particularly at the lower end of the market but we would submit that it serves the industry by providing a low cost marketplace. As with every other yearling sale this year the old adage “the good ones were hard to buy” rang true and there will be an Amour Propre amongst them whilst the sale continues to move in the right direction with a 5% rise in average and a median that has advanced by a quarter following a 50% leap last year."
