THE September Sale at DBS this week was lacking some real stars and last year’s top-price of £185,000 was never threatened. Nonetheless there was a good demand for the lots catalogued and the final figures showed that last year’s turnover was bettered marginally. The average fell by 8%, while the median last year was matched at £6,000. The clearance rate improved significantly, from 67% last year to 78% this time.

WEDNESDAY

Ashridge Lad, a three-year-old son of Invincible Spirit, won twice over a mile at Newmarket this year and he topped the DBS September Sales when selling for £78,000 to Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. Out of a Danehill mare, the Brian Meehan-trained gelding is from the family of the European champion Pilsudski and the Japanese champion Fine Motion. The first day of the sale was largely devoted to flat-bred stock.

The supplementary entry Spongy, a two-year-old son of Zoffany, topped Qatari trainer Jassim Ghazali’s shopping list when he realised £75,000. Trained by Richard Hannon for Middleham Park Racing, the colt was purchased in the same ring as a yearling for £35,000. He won a maiden over seven furlongs at Leicester and was placed at up to a mile.

Ghazali also spent £45,000 for Astley Hall, a home-bred son of Dutch Art who raced for David Armstrong. The two-year-old was trained by Richard Fahey to win over the minimum trip at Redcar and Thirsk. His year older half-sister Robin Park is also a dual winner in 2015.

Grand National winning trainer Dr Richard Newland spent £46,000 to secure Duke Street from Mark Johnston’s yard, bidding on the telephone to Tim Kent. This three-year-old gelding by Duke Of Marmalade is a five-time winner in 2015 and was successful over trips from 12 furlongs to two miles. He is a half-brother to the useful dual-purpose performer Act Of Kalanisi, a winner nine times under both rules. They are from the family of the Johnston-trained Yavana’s Pace, the oldest horse at the time to win a European Group 1 race when successful at the age of 10 years.

Winner on her debut, just prior to the sale, in a bumper at Southwell, the Tony Coyle-trained What A Lark was purchased by Galway breeder Frank O’Meara for £40,000. The vendor Craig Buckingham bought the four-year-old daughter of Kalanisi at the Derby Sale last year for €20,000. She is the first winner for her dam Grangeclare Lark, a winner of five blacktype races when trained by Dessie Hughes. What A Lark will now be trained by Jimmy Mangan.

Houghton Bloodstock consigned the four-year-old Excellent Art gelding Donny Rover who was trained by Michael Appleby to win five races and over £52,000. A half-brother to Mac Love, he cost agent Oliver St Lawrence £40,000 on behalf of Fawzi Nass and he will now head to Bahrain to race.

The best priced lot from Ireland on the first day was the dual Grade 1 winner Hisaabaat, a seven-year-old son of Dubawi who was runner-up at Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle. He now leaves Dermot Weld’s Rosewell House Stables following his £38,000 sale to George Mahoney and will be trained in the USA by Ricky Hendricks.

Qatari owner Hassan Ali Abdulmalik paid £36,000 for Chilworth Icon and this former Mick Channon-trained gelding boosted his sale price with a win two weeks earlier at Sandown, bringing to five his tally of victories. He won a Group 3 at two years in Italy. Goffs’ Joey Cullen was taking bids on the telephone from trainer Debbie Mountain.

Two Jabs and Camakasi sold for £35,000 and £30,000 respectively. The more expensive is a five-year-old son of Teofilo and he won three races from Mark Brisbourne’s Ness Grange Stables. Matt Taylor, who had earlier sold a couple of lots, bought him. Another horse to travel from Ireland for the sale was the Camacho four-year-old Camakasi, previously a winner for Michael Halford, and he leaves Johnny Feane’s yard after his sale to Sam Stronge. He will be trained by the purchaser’s wife Ali.

THURSDAY

Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud dominated the proceedings on Thursday when they sold a strong draft of horses with form. Dan Skelton bought the best of them, giving £46,000 for the Tony Martin-trained Savello. The son of Anshan won at Ballinrobe recently, his fifth over the larger obstacles and adding to two hurdle wins. In March 2014 he won the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham and was Grade 1 placed.

A horse just setting out on his career is Crosspark, a five-year-old son of Midnight Legend who won his only start in a point-to-point at Buckfastleigh in March. He is well regarded and moves from Jill Dennis’s yard following his sale for £44,000 to Bill Booth.

Richard Newland was stocking up on both days of the sale and among his purchases was Westren Warrior for £42,000. This son of Westerner won a point-to-point at The Pigeons back in March and added a maiden hurdle at Sligo last month on his only start under rules for trainer Aidan Howard. His dam is an own-sister to Feathered Leader. Later in the day Newland gave £33,000 for Seeford, a listed chase winner from the Sandra Hughes stables. The son of Kahyasi raced for the Lyreen Syndicate.

Sam Thomas was another who was busy and his biggest purchase was Enjoy Responsibly, a graded chase winner at Killarney in July for Gigginstown House and trainer Henry de Bromhead. The son of Flemensfirth cost £38,000. Shortly afterwards Thomas teamed up with agent Tom Malone to give £30,000 for the five-year-old Kalanisi mare Ballybrowneybridge who was runner-up on her only start in a bumper ay Roscommon in July. She was sold from Jonathan Sweeney’s yard.

The Soviet Star gelding Star Foot has shown consistent form, placing three times from four starts in bumpers this year at Roscommon, Cork and Kilbeggan. He sold to John Marriott for £37,000. Tom Malone secured the Gordon Elliott-trained Fort Smith, from the Gigginstown draft, for £36,000 and the bumper winner was twice a winner over fences at Downpatrick this year. His dam is a half-sister to See More Business. Late in the day George paid £32,000 for the Flemensfirth four-year-old KK Lexicon who was second at Killarney recently on his only outing in a maiden hurdle.

Kerry Lee is the new owner of another Gigginstown runner, this one being the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bishops Road who won a handicap chase at Leopardstown this year and was recently placed at Tramore. The seven-year-old cost £32,000. This was also the price Tom George gave for the four-year-old Milan filly Arctic Lady who won her only start for Denis Murphy when landing a point-to-point at Necarne in May.

Craig Buckingham invested £30,000 of the £40,000 he received on Wednesday when buying the Ted Walsh-trained Swansea Mile. The son of Dylan Thomas won two hurdle races in July, at Bellewstown and Killarney.