THE father and daughter team of Emmanuel and Leona Hughes are best known as the vendors of the prolific Layfayette and they produced another sales star this week when selling the top lot in the Tattersalls Online June Sale.

This ‘virtual’ auction was notable as it featured the first online sale of breeze-up horses. The session saw a dozen juveniles change hands and the top price of 23,000gns was paid for a Sioux Nation filly from the Hughes family’s San Antone Lodge on the Curragh.

Out of seven-time winner Jebediah Shine, the filly had put in an impressive breeze at Dundalk on May 19th and this encouraged Richard Young to place the winning bid. Owner of Bert House Stud in Athy and the man behind ArkEquine, Young was featured in The Irish Field last week.

“We are very happy with the filly,” her new owner reported. “She will go to Charlestown Racing with Ciaran Murphy in Mullingar. She has a good chance and we really like the sire. The filly is ready to go and Ciaran is very excited by her. He’s delighted, we’re delighted and she is a very nice prospect.”

A filly by Highland Reel was sold by P&C Bloodstock to Andrew and Riona Lynch’s Kilbrew Stables for 15,500gns, while the Calvin Nugent-consigned Belardo filly out of Lady Bee sold for 14,000 guineas to bloodstock agent Freddy Tylicki.

The horses-in-training section saw the well-bred Dragon Pulse mare Adare Beauty, presented by Baroda Stud, sell for 10,000gns to Tommy Dowling Racing. The once-raced three-year-old filly is a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Thunder Beauty.

The sale generated turnover of 138,200gns and saw 19 lots change hands at an average of 7,274gns. Unsold lots remain available and offers can be made through the Tattersalls Online website.