Females were the pick of the trade at the second Southdown Sheep Society sale of the season, with shearling ewes peaking at 490gns for one from Michael and Gail Sprake’s All Saints flock.

This was All Saints 13/00217, an All Saints Charlieson daughter out of a homebred dam. This one sold to Maurice Trumper, Abergavenny, with Signet figures in the top 1% of the breed.

Second best in the females was a call of 465gns for another shearling ewe, this time from Howard Wood’s Prescoed flock. This one, Prescoed 13/00111 is by the homebred sire Prescoed Merlin and sold to John Hawtin, Weedon, Northamptonshire.

Following that at 410gns was the first prize winning shearling ewe from the Whitcombe family’s Southern Cross flock. This one is by a New Zealand sire from the Tralee flock and sold to Russell Davies, Ceredigion.

Leading the ram trade was a bid of 460gns for one from the Southern Cross pen, Southern Cross 13/00428. Again by the Tralee sire he sold to J Miller, Cleobury Mortimer, Worcestershire.

Another from the same home then sold at 430gns, with this one again by the Tralee sire. He sold to J Coates, Carnforth, Lancashire.

Topping the ram lambs was the day’s overall champion from the pre-sale show from the Glaves family’s Brompton flock. This was Brompton 14/02562, a son of the homebred Brompton 11/00009 and going back to Chaileybrook 07/0019 on both sides. He was knocked down to A J Powell, Knighton, Powys.

Averages; 19 shearling ewes £261.50, two ewe lambs £112.87, six shearling rams £315, four ram lambs £270.37 (McCartneys).