Prices remained very much on a par with the 2017 sale at the annual show and sale of Border Leicesters at Lanark, where tup lambs from the Alticane flock topped the trade and a further six lots sold at four figure prices.

Sale leader at £2500 was the No 2 lamb from David and Ian Walker's Alticane flock from Pinwherry, Girvan, purchased by Jimmy Douglas, buying back some of his own genetics for the Clola flock from Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh. A son of Clola Crackerjack, he is out of a ewe by Lyham Lord Kelso.

The flock also sold their pen leader at £2100 and produced the lead flock average at £921.43 for seven. Their No 1, another by Crackerjack, but out of a home-bred ewe that was reserve champion at the Highland Show in 2015, by Atok Atomic was knocked down to Tom Tennant, buying for the West Forth flock from Gilmanscleugh, Ettrick.

Almost financing that purchase, West Forth received £1900 for their No 2, a son of Alticane Uncle Mo, that made up the first prize pen of three. He is bred from a ewe by Eildon Last Chance and was knocked down to the judge, Neil Howie, buying for the Lyham flock from Northumberland.

The long trip south for Orkney breeder, Keith Hourston, proved fruitful for his Didcot flock too, when he secured the pre-sale championship – judged by Neil Howie, North Lyham – with a lamb that went on to sell for £1200. He is by Ditton Grand Prix, out of a ewe by Lammermuir Lightening, and sold to Sandy and Alex Watson, Muthill, Crieff.

Another from the same home, but sired by Muirmouth Showtime and bred from a Ditton Grand Prix-sired ewe, made 1000gns to Mrs Mary Laidlaw, Kennelmount, Galston. Didcot averaged £541.43 for seven.

Sandy Haggart's Muirmouth flock from Madderty, Crieff, produced the reserve champion that sold for £900 and another at £1200. Both are sons of Intock Invisable with the dearest selling to the Aiken family, who own the Carnew flock from Dromore, Co Down, Northern Ireland.

The reserve was bought by Mrs MJ Cornish, Parkridge, Buckfastleigh, Devon.

Two other lambs made £1000 to include the third prize lamb from W and T Nelson, High Kilphin, Ballantrae, Girvan, purchased by J and M Kinloch, Elsrickle Mains, Elsrickle, Biggar. A son of Alticane Donald, he is out of a Intock Sandy daughter.

Later, Sandy and Alex Watson's Intock flock from Muthill, sold to the same amount for their No 3, a Drennans Dazzler son bred from a ewe by Eildon Rob Roy that goes back to the dam of Intock Invincible. Northern Ireland breeder, H McIlwaine, Hillsborough, Co Down, was the last man in.

Just behind, on £950, Matt Steel, Ditton, Kilmarnock, sold his pen leader, a son of Lammermuir Jake, to Jimmy Douglas, Clola.

Northern Ireland breeder, H Dickey, Rosenga, Ballymena, topped the females at £820 with the first prize gimmer, which also secured red tickets at four other events this year to include Balmoral Show. She is by Ditton Dodger and sold to J and E Pattinson, Bonshawside, Lockerbie.

The section champion, a ewe lamb from from JB Barrowman, Knockglass, made £800 to J Pile, Barnstable, Devon. She is by Didcot Deja

A feature of the sale were the dispersals of the Lammermuir and Cocklaw flocks on behalf of the late Jackie Harrison and A Gardiner, respectively. The Lammermuir flock sold to £520 for a ewe lamb to average £252.72 with the Cocklaw flock peaking at £780 to level at £320.

Averages: 74 ram lambs, £439.12 (-£1.39 for five fewer) eight gimmers, £483.75 (-£2.92 for one less); 25 ewe lambs, £298.80 (-£106.46 for six more)

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.