TUESDAY’S second session of Book 2 made the sort of start any auctioneering house dreams about.

The first lot into the ring was a daughter of Night Of Thunder, off to a winning start at stud, and she continued the fine sales season being enjoyed by Eugene Daly’s Longview Stud in Cheshire. In Book 1 last week the farm received 1,100,000gns for a son of Dubawi.

This time the price was a more modest 425,000gns, but Angus Gold pushed Charlie Gordon-Watson all the way before finally conceding defeat. “She is for a new project,” said Gordon-Watson. “She is lovely, the stallion has been doing well and she has a great page.” The dual-winning dam is a full-sister to Group 2 winner Harland. The filly was a foal purchase, costing €77,000 last November.

The price was matched later in the day by a son of Archipenko, bred at Strawberry Field Stud by Gary Robinson. This was the biggest price achieved at the sale by the farm and there was little surprise when the colt was knocked down to Michael Kinane on behalf of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. The colt’s full-brother is doing well there and this year won the Group 3 The Premier Cup at Sha Tin.

Kinane said afterwards. “He is a gorgeous horse, with a great walk, and he has a good international page throughout. There was a lot of competition for him. I wish I could ride him.”

A few hours later Kinane added to his shopping list when he paid the Egans’ Corduff Stud 300,000gns for their Acclamation colt out of a winning daughter of Street Cry.