THREE sport horses shared the sale-topping honours at Goresbridge last week, and while their returns of €8,200 broke no records, they contributed to a very solid two days’ trading.

Demand for the older horses was especially strong, as private buyers scooped up most of the notable sales. The market for the three and four-year-olds was also lively, leading to an increased overall average of €3,704 (€3,333) which was accompanied by a slightly lower clearance of 71% (78% in 2018). Without any notable outliers, this was a significantly improved average, and the growth of the private sector is encouraging in these challenging political times.