Australia colt tops trying first session at Autumn Yearling Sale

As had been widely predicted, day one of the Goffs Autumn Sale proved a tough day of trading for vendors, and Monday's session concluded with a clearance rate of just 58 per cent, as only 149 of the 255 offered lots found a buyer.

Turnover for the session stood at €862,150 - down 34 per cent year-on-year, despite ten more lots coming under the hammer than at the corresponding day of the Open Sale.

The average price was €5,786 - down 21 per cent, while the median was just €3,200 - down from €5,000 12 months ago, meaning that the majority of lots will have fallen an awfully long way short of covering the cost of producing a yearling for sale.

The session-topper came in the form of the Australia colt offered by Shanaville Stables, who went the way of Margaret O'Toole for €52,000. The youngster - from the sire's second crop, conceived at a fee of €50,000 - is out of the Dalakhani mare That's My Style.

Among the few operations to enjoy a positive sale was Deer Forest Stud, who sold a Dandy Man colt pinhooked for a mere €3,500 in February to Jamie Browne for €25,000.

The stud's Luca Somaini took to Twitter to express his satisfaction with his day's work, saying": "Happy customers and happy vendors, the right job, the best of luck to Jamie Browne with this lovely Dandy Man colt."

Agent Bobby O'Ryan was the busiest buyer at Kildare Paddocks, having signed for 23 lots - 15 per cent of those sold - for a total outlay of €49,800 and at an average of €2,165. Many of O'Ryan's purchases are now bound for Eastern Europe.

The Autumn Yearling Sale concludes on Tuesday, with selling beginning at 10am.

View full results from day one Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale