NOT for the first time at the venue, it was the performance ponies who dominated the better trade at Cavan last week. Recording two five-figure returns, they outdid the horses by a distance and contributed to an improved overall average of €3,130 (€2,928 in 2016). This illustrated a successive upturn in figures, which stemmed from trade driven largely by the Swedish and domestic market. The British meanwhile, were notably light in numbers, and their absence may have influenced the reduced clearance of 61% (72%).