Tattersalls opening numbers mostly down

England’s Tattersalls July sale, featuring horses and fillies in training as well as broodmares, ended its first of three sessions Wednesday with declines in gross, average, and median, though buybacks also dropped. Session one sold 147 horses for about $2,231,791, an average of about $15,182, and an approximate median of $8,951.

Compared year-to-year in the auction currency, guineas, gross fell 39 percent from the 2011 total for 162 horses. Average was down 32 percent, and median fell 8 percent. But buybacks improved from 22 percent a year ago to 19 percent. The auction continues through Friday in Newmarket, England.

– Glenye Cain Oakford