THE 2026 edition of Book 1 was characterised by the same selectivity that has become the norm for elite sales over the last number of years. As Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown put it, “If you hit it, it can be off the charts, but if you miss, it can be pretty sticky and it can get lonely quickly.”

It was far from a case of all or nothing, though – Brown also stated: “There’s plenty of trade here from 100,000gns to 300,000gns.” His opinion was backed up by the average and median prices of 359,420gns and 230,000gns respectively, which were the second highest in the sale’s history.