THE European yearling sales season continues in rude health, judging by the results of Tuesday's Tattersalls Somerville Sale in Newmarket.

Previously held at Ascot, this sale is in its second year at Park Paddocks and the latest edition saw 92% of yearlings offered find buyers.

The average price paid jumped by 29% to 24,273gns and the median price soared by 40% to 14,000gns.

Trained Richard Hughes bought the day's top lot when paying 160,000gns for a chesnut filly by Zoustar consigned by Michael O'Leary's Plantation Stud. The filly is a half-sister to an Almanzor three-year-old colt who was due to run in the Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs this evening (due off 11.14pm GMT).

Hughes said: "I loved her from the time I seen her, she will take a bit of time. We will see how the brother gets on tonight, if he wins she will be half-price! He is probably a 115 horse. This filly is very nice, good walker and has very good movement."

Plantation's stud manager James Berney said: "We are over the moon, she deserves to make that type of money, she is a beauty. She has improved greatly through the year, and her brother's form has helped as well.

"She has been A1 since she got her, she has been very busy, she has had a lot of vets on her and she has never turned a hair. We are delighted she is going to Richard Hughes and am pleased for the mare. She has got a Showcasing foal at foot and she is in-foal to Pinatubo."

Plantation sold another six-figure lot earlier in the day when agent Oliver St Lawrence paid 120,000gns for its Shalaa colt out of Dream Dana, already dam of two winners.

"He is a lovely individual," said St Lawrence. "He is for Fawzi (Nass of Bahrain) and team and will probably end up in the red and white colours of Victorious Racing.

"The mare is two from two and are both rated up in the 90s. I think he will be going to Archie Watson."

Watson will be hoping this colt does as well for him as last year's Somerville Sale graduate Bradsell, winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for the same owners.

Aughamore Stud

Laurence Gleeson of Aughamore Stud in Co Westmeath sold his homebred Mehmas colt for 135,000gns. Agent Ross Doyle signed the docket under Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock and Aguiar Bloodstock.

Gleeson, who bought the mare Classic Image (Exceed And Excel) for just 6,500gns as a three-year-old in 2015, said: "It has worked well and Mehmas had Minzaal win his Group 1 recently, he is a superb stallion.

"We sent the mare as he was just about to have his first two-year-olds, we heard there was some good breezers. We took a punt and it has worked out.

"This colt has been a star here everyone was saying that he was a stand out, you don't want to get your hopes up too much but it has all worked out in the end."

The only other lot to break the 100,000gns barrier was a colt by Starspangledbanner consigned by James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud. The colt, out of an own-sister to a listed winner and from the family of the speedy Raasel, was bought by agent Richard Ryan on behalf of Teme Valley Racing. The same connections had great success with another son of Starspangledbanner in State Of Rest.

"He was of a different ball game than the rest of the field, I thought – a good strong Starspangledbanner colt with a good backside on him," Ryan said. "He is from a real speed family and will make a lovely two-year-old. He will probably go into training in Ireland."

SALE STATISTICS (2021 figures in brackets)

Catalogued: 363 (465)

Offered: 236 (313)

Sold: 217 (286)

Aggregate: 5,267,300gns (-2%)

Median: 14,000gns (+40%)

Average: 24,273gns (+29%)

% sold: 92% (88%)