THE turnover record set last year at this sale was broken on Thursday, the highlight of a day where the action was decidedly low-key compared to the previous three. With a day to go, the turnover reached 26,857,300gns, already a new high.

The top lot came with the Irish-trained two-year-old River Boyne who was knocked down to Alastair Donald for 70,000gns on behalf of Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal. The US team had returned home to watch their gelding Itsinthepost run in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Trained by Gordon Elliot for Nick Bradley Racing, River Boyne is rated 91 following a recent all-weather win at Newcastle.

On Friday, two lots from Robyn Brisland’s Sackville House Stables topped proceedings. The maiden two-year-old Beckton, by Finjaan, sold to Will Douglass on behalf of Jassim Ghazali, Qatar’s champion trainer, for 50,000gns, while Nick Bradley Racing paid 27,000gns for seven-furlong Newcastle winner Line House, a juvenile daughter of Kheleyf.

The horses-in-training on Friday were followed by a small selection of yearlings. With a top price of 11,000gns for a daughter of Compton Place, the sale of just 26 yearlings was concluded swiftly.