Doncaster sale sees decline

Doncasters three-day St. Leger yearling sale in Doncaster, England, had a second day of declines Wednesday despite selling more lots for 50,000 pounds or more than at last years second session.

The Wednesday session sold 35 yearlings for at least 50,000 pounds (about $92,000), including nine horses for 100,000 pounds or more. Among those was the session-topping Elusive Quality colt for 145,000 pounds, or about $266,800. Last year, 28 yearlings sold for at least 50,000 pounds.

Wednesdays session-topper is a son of the Group 3-winning Green Desert mare Sahara Star. He is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Land of Dreams and Group 3-placed Just a Poser. Richard OGorman bought the colt from Brendan Hollands Grove Stud.

The second session sold 133 yearlings for about $9,267,160, yielding an average price of about $69,678. The median was approximately $55,200. The gross was down 18 percent from last years second day, which saw 154 yearlings sold. The average and median prices both fell 5 percent. The buy-back rate was 19 percent, compared with 6 percent last year.

On Tuesdays opening day, the auction saw declines of 11 percent in gross, 9 percent in average, and 8 percent in median. This information was previously misstated in the Daily Racing Form, which cited across-the-board gains rather than declines.

The sale was to continue through Thursday.