Texels led the trade at a joint sale of Texel and Beltex females at Beeston Castle Auction Mart, with sales at 4100gns, 3400gns and 2000gns.

The first such sale at Beeston since Chelford closed at the end of March 2016, also saw many breeders achieve prices way above expectations.

"Like the other sales, we have had to move to Beeston, however, we had fantastic support from both breeders and buyers. Trade was as strong as I can remember in all the years of running this sale," said Wright Marshall director and auctioneer, Gwyn Williams.

With a large number of telephone bids, the North-West Texel Club sale saw an almost complete clearance, with the top seller at 4100gns, heading all the way up to Banff with Graham Morrison of the Deveronvale flock.

This was the pre-sale champion, a gimmer from Spiros Spyrou's Gib Farm flock from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. A Hexel Wildcard daughter, out of a ewe by Deveronvale Superb, she sold carrying twins to Eden Valley Al, a Yogi Bear son.

Another Hexel Wildcard daughter from the same pen, this time carrying twins to Anglezarke Uno, made 2000gns to A E Jones, Llangadog, Carmarthen.

Selkirk-based breeders, Gordon and David Gray, who own the Ettrick and Tima flocks, again enjoyed a good day receiving 3400gns for a gimmer by Ellen Valley Warlord, out of a Sportsmans Unimog-sired ewe. She changed hands carrying twins to Usk Vale Albatross, to joint purchasers Steven and Janet Symes, Anglezarke, and Steve Richardson, Barnsley.

Charlie Boden's Sportsmans and Mellor Vale flocks from Mellor, Stockport, were also in the money with sales at 1800gns and 1000gns. The dearest, a Whiplash daughter carrying twins to Deveronvale Aerostar, travelled home to Hope Valley, Shrewsbury, with R Evans, who also purchased Mr Boden's reserve champion, another Whiplash daughter carrying a single by Teiglum Younggun, for 1000gns.

Peter Woof’s Stainton consignment from Kendal, peaked at 1600gns for an Anglezarke Uno daughter carrying twins to Knock Yankee. She also sold to Steve Smith, Castle Caerinion, Powys. Another from Stainton by Uno, carrying twins to Gyrhos Andy, headed for Haslington, Crewe, with David Lewis and Son at 1400gns.

Ewe hoggs peaked at 1000gns for the second prize winner from Gareth Jones’ Meifod flock from Denbigh. This Arkle You’re In daughter, out of a Knock Travis-sired dam, headed for Cumbria with Giles Pyman, Parkview, Penrith.

Beltex peaked at 1300gns on two occasions for females from Stuart Wood's Woodies flock from Skene, Aberdeenshire. His pre-sale champion – selected by judge, John Cowan, Ayrshire – was an imported one-crop ewe carrying twins to the 4500gns Woodies Bojangles and was first to sell at this money, to C and F Swinnerton, Market Drayton.

Mr Wood received the same money for the ewe hogg, Woodies Can't Get Enough, a Tiree Benchmark-sired hogg bred from a Kingledores Rascal daughter. The buyer was A Davies, Five Roads, Llanelli.

Stirlingshire breeder, Andrew Morton, Lochend, Denny, produced the reserve champion, a ewe hogg that stood in front of the Woodies hogg, which made 1000gns selling back up to Scotland with Robert Rennie, Sydenham, Kelso, who also went to 900gns for another from the same pen. Both ewe hoggs are daughters of Kingledores Battleaxe.

Averages: Texels – In-lamb ewes, £695.63; in-lamb gimmers, £739.67; ewe hoggs, £462.00. Beltex – In-lamb ewes, £634.20; in-lamb gimmers, £510.05; ewe hoggs, £672.00.

Auctioneers: Wright-Marshall.