Tattersalls ends with mixed results

The Tattersalls autumn horses in training sale in Newmarket, England, ended Thursday with declines in gross receipts and average price but posted an increase in median price.

The four-day sale sold 903 horses for a gross of about $30,062,331, which was down 11 percent from last season's auction. The average price, about $33,291, fell 8 percent. But the median climbed 13 percent to about $15,498, and the buy-back rate improved from last year's from 21 percent to 15 percent.

The sale-topper was Royal Diamond, a 3-year-old King's Best gelding who came into the sale off a 10-length victory that was the latest in his four-race win streak. Consigned by his trainer, Mark Prescott, Royal Diamond brought 400,000 guineas, or about $688,800, from Andrew Tinkler.

Edmond Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls, pointed to the higher median and lower buy-back rate as positives but said, "The sale was perhaps a touch short of obvious stars, and, considering the strength of the market, the handful of high-profile withdrawals was a little disappointing, but overall this has been another week which has provided encouragement for the industry."