FOUR more yearlings broke through the £200,000 barrier on the second and final day of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, helping the Doncaster auction return a strong set of final figures.

The two-day sale saw an 89% clearance rate and a 20% jump in total spending to almost £16 million. The average price of £44,043 was up 8% on last year and the median rose by 9% to £35,000.

It didn’t take long to match Tuesday's top price of £230,000 with Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Havana Grey filly, a three-parts sister to the Premier graduate and Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes winner El Caballo, selling to Jake Warren's Highclere Agency just four lots into the session.

The filly will race for Isa Salman Al Khalifa, who has had success recently with Wings Of War, trained by Clive Cox.

"She had all the hallmarks of a proper two-year-old. Couple that with her pedigree and what the mare has done - she's four from four - and of course Havana Grey is really looking an important sire for the future. Great credit to Whistbusy Manor Stud - they are breeding a lot of very good speed horses. We were keen to find a high-class filly for Sheikh Isa and came away with the one we wanted."

Mullingar's Tally-Ho Stud took top honours with their Night Of Thunder filly topping the sale when selling to Blandford Bloodstock for £240,000.

The O'Callaghan family's Tally-Ho operation had a highly successful two days with their 24 yearlings sold generating over £1.5 million in turnover.

Another Tally-Ho star was the Galileo Gold half-brother to this year's leading juvenile The Platinum Queen, which was bought by trainer Richard Spencer and owner Phil Cunningham for £170,000.

Other lots to feature on Wednesday were Guy O'Callaghan's Grangemore Stud’s Dark Angel colt, which sold to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for £200,000, and Highclere Stud’s Frankel colt which achieved the same figure when knocked down to Richard Hughes.

Peter and Ross Doyle once again ended the sale as the leading buyers, purchasing 17 yearlings for a total of over £1.1 million.

Tim Kent, managing director of Goffs UK, said: "The last few days have been absolutely outstanding and, on behalf of the Goffs UK team, we must thank everyone that has made this sale such an incredible success.

"We were confident we had a good catalogue coming into this week but you can only hope that others agree and whilst one noted industry professional said that we ‘were not missing anyone’, another noted that there were ‘better horses here this year’.

"These comments are great to hear in the build up to any sale, but the level of the market can only really be measured in the sales ring and those comments certainly came to fruition with an outstanding trade from start to finish and a wonderful atmosphere throughout the sales complex.

"This helped to deliver 23 horses that sold for a six-figure sum whilst seven made £200,000 or more. This was matched by an impressive 89% clearance rate and a top price of £240,000.

"Our focus for this sale was quality, precocity and athleticism and the feedback from buyers is that we achieved exactly that. We had a complex full of the traditional ‘Donny rockets’ which is very much true to the mantra on which this sale was founded and has thrived.

"To our vendors, we want to extend a huge thanks for their support. They got the brief, delivered the goods and we are delighted to have been able to produce a strong sale which has generated some sizable gains in the key figures.

“To our buyers, it was a huge turnout from everyone involved, it made for a brilliant atmosphere. We have had countless positive comments on the quality of the catalogue and the type of horse here, and that the sale is back where it belongs, praise that means a lot to the Goffs team. We extend our sincere thanks and we look forward to seeing our athletes tearing up the tracks as two-year-olds next year.”

FULL SALE STATISTICS

Offered: 406

Sold: 363 (89%)

Aggregate: £15,987,500 (+20%)

Average: £44,043 (+8%)

Median: £35,000 (+9%)