Robust trade in top tier but bottom sector takes knock

A fall in the average price at this week's Arqana August Yearling Sale appeared to hit the lower end of trade the most.

Putting the sale results in order of highest price to lowest, splitting them up into four and comparing each portion - or quartile - with the 2015 renewal shows that the €29,818 average price in the bottom sector fell by 14 per cent year-on-year.

There was an eight per cent drop in average in the second lowest quartile to €64,407 but a seven per cent increase in the second highest quartile to €118,876.