Cage fighter, Rob Bennett, certainly made his presence felt at the Select Seven sale of pedigree Texels at Lanark – albeit over the 'phone – when he bought the lead priced lot, at 17,000gns from Auldhouseburn.

Mr Bennett who runs the Plasucha flock from Meifod, Powys, alongside his father, Alun's pedigree Lleyn flock, was unable to attend the sale due a fight, but he forked out the big bid having driven up to see the gimmer the previous day.

This much talked about entry was in fact a substitute gimmer from Hugh and Alan Blackwood's Auldhouseburn flock from Muirkirk, which produced last year's 12,000gns lead sale. Similarly bred to last year's sale topper, this cracker is a maternal sister to her being bred from a Cowal ewe bought privately by Kelso Pavarotti. Sired by Glenside Willie Winkie, a tup bought for 24,000gns in 2015, which earlier this year produced the 42,000gns Mullan Armani for Brian Hanthorn, she sold in lamb carrying a single to the dearest tup sold this year, the 130,000gns Sportmans A Star which is shared with John Forsyth, Glenside.

The Blackwoods who ventured into Texels five years ago and now run 40 breeding ewes, also produced the lead flock average selling six at £5565, with everyone due to Sportsmans A Star. Next best for this father and son duo was 8500gns paid for their No 3 gimmer which was bred the exact same way as the substitute entry and carrying a pair. She also sold south with Rob Evans who owns the Hope Valley flock from Shrewsbury.

On the other side of the equation, Auldhouseburn bought the second top priced gimmer at 10,000gns from Gordon and David Gray's Ettrick flock, from Selkirk, which sold empty for winter flushing. This was the pen leader sired by Shannagh Won-O-Won. Bred from the best ewes in the flock by Ettrick Rainbow Warrior, she is a maternal sister to several previous high priced lots including gimmers to 6800gns and 6000gns and the tup lambs Ettrick Van Gogh and Ettrick Vital Spark.

Her ET sister then made 7500gns selling to David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr. She changed hands carrying a pair to Usk Vale Albatross – the 17,000gns lamb bought at Worcester this year.

Blackface and Luing breeder, Billy Graham, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar, bought his first pedigree Texel female too, forking out 5800gns for an equally well-bred Ettrick gimmer by Douganhill Vital Spark. A maternal sister to former show gimmers, she is out of a ewe by Ettrick Sir Alan an is carrying a single lamb to Albatross.

Adding to Ettrick's success was a 5000gns price tag for their No 2, an Ellen Valley Warlord daughter, bred from a ewe by Enniscrone Van Gaal. David McKerrow and sons David and James, Nochnary, Freuchie, Fife, were the last men in on this entry carrying triplets to Albatross.

The long trip south from Fraserburgh, proved fruitful for George Howie's Knock flock from West Knock, Stuartfield, too, when he received 9000gns for his No 2 entry. Sired by Ettrick U Cracker, she is bred from a ewe by Cambwell Rob Roy that is a daughter of the female that produced the 20,000gns Knock Travis and the 7500gns Knock Topaz. Robert Cockburn of the Knap flock from Hill of Errol, Errol, Perth was the last man in on this entry which changed hands scanned for twins to the 24,000gns Allanfauld Am The Man.

Allan Cullen enjoyed his best ever gimmer sale in recent years too, when his No 3 from the Craighead flock made 5500gns selling to Northern Ireland breeder, Adrian Liggett who owns the Corbo flock from Cairnlea Manor, Seksinmore, Omagh. Sired by Eden Valley William Wallace, she is bred from a ewe by Boghouse Uncle Jake – one of 80 ewes in the flock from Craighead, Carluke. The service sire was Hartside All Star and she sold carrying triplets.

* The charity gimmer from the Ettrick flock, by Knock Papoose – a tup that has bred females to 26,000gns and 10,000gns and tup lambs to 10,500gns, due to Hartside All Star, made 5000gns to Allan Campbell, buying for his Strawfrank flock from Carstairs Junction, Lanarkshire. The 5000gns bid was immediately matched by the under bidder, Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside Farms, Lamington, with the result that a phenomenal 10,000gns or £10,500 was gifted to My Name 5 Doddie Foundation charity for Motor Neurone Disease.

OTHERLEADINGprices

Gimmers – 4500gns – Clarks, by Mossvale Winston and due to Crailloch Ammunition, to A Breen, Drumderg Cottage, Lough Road, Temple, Enniskillen. 4400gns – Knock, by Ettrick U Cracker and due to Allanfauld Am The Man, to M Paterson, Carmavy Road, Crumlin, Co Antrim. 4200gns – Knock by Tophill Wall St and due to Allanfauld Am The Man, to A Wight, Midlock, Crawford. 4000gns – Ettrick by Ellen Valley Warlord and due to Clinterty Yuga Khan, to A Hamilton, Smyllum, Lanark. 3800gns – Clarks, by Teiglum Windfall and due to Crailloch Ammunition, to M Grant, Dublin Road, Kilcoo, Newry, Co Down. 3400gns – Procters, by Llangwm Wario and due to Thrunton Younique, to A Kennedy, Maineview, Northern Ireland. 3200gns – Clarks, by Mossvale Winston and due to New View Awesome, to T Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie; Ettrick, by Llyfni Usain Bolt and due to Isk Vale Albatross, to G Cathcart, Shankhill Road, Monea, Co Fermanagh; Ettrick, by Douganhill Vital Spark and due to Clinterty Yuga Khan, to R Orr, Halbeath, Dunfermline.

Averages: Procters flock – Seven gimmers, £1657.50. Grougfoot – Seven gimmers, £655.50. Watchknowe – Nine gimmers, £478.44. Knock – Eight gimmers, £3025.31. Cambwell – Eight gimmers, £1535.62. Clarks – 14 gimmers, £1563.75. Springwell – Seven gimmers, £825.00. Craighead – Five gimmers, £2110.50. Boghouse – Eight gimmers, £905.62. Auldhouseburn – Six gimmers, £5565.00. Ettrick – 17 gimmers, £3397.06.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.