Averages: 79 gimmers, £1599.32; four ewe lambs, £2992.50.

Guest consignors Alan and Hugh Blackwood of the Auldhouseburn flock from Muirkirk, led the way at the 10th anniversary of the Northern Stars sale of in-lamb Texel gimmers, selling the top priced lot at 10,000gns, with others at 5500gns and 5200gns.

The sale of Texel gimmers from nine flocks at Ballymena Livestock Mart, attracted a huge crowd and a flying trade with 45% of the entries selling at four-figure prices with a clearance rate just shy of 90%.

Sale leader at 10,000gns was a Clinterty Yuga Khan daughter out of a dam by Strathbogie Untouchable. One of the favourites in the consignment and one that traces back to the Cowal female that has done so well at Auldhouseburn, she sold carrying a single pregnancy to the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star, to Stephen and Jean McCollam’s Carmavy flock Crumlin.

Two other gimmers from the Blackwoods attracted bids in the top four prices. Next at 5500gns was another by Clinterty Yuga Khan, out of a Knap Vicious Sid dam whose grand-dam is a full sister to the dam of 130,000gn Sportsmans A Star, another Cowal-bred ewe, this time by Cairnam Talisman. She joins the Lonicera flock of A and R Dickson, Castlederg, scanned in lamb to the 125,000gns Rhaeadr Best of the Best with twins.

Just behind on 5200gns, Auldhouseburn sold another by Yuga Khan, to John Kidd Bunclody Co Wexford. She traces back to the flock's Cowal foundation Pavarotti female and is a maternal sister to 7000gns Wacko Jacko. She also sold carrying twins to Rhaeadr Best of the Best.

Auldhouseburn also produced the lead flock average selling seven gimmers at £4905.

Alastair Gault's Forkins flock was another in the money, selling the second top priced gimmer at 7000gns to Alistair Breen, buying for his Drumderg flock from Tempo, Co Fermanagh. Another extremely well bred gimmer, this girl is by Knock Yazoo and bred from the best breeding ewe in the flock and 2015 Balmoral Show champion, by Baltier Thunderbird. She changed hands scanned with twins to Scotsman Avicii.

Richard Henderson's Ballynahone flock sold to 5000gns for a Tophill Yankee Boy-sired gimmer out of a another former Balmoral Show champion, by Braehead Touch of Class. Local breeder, Sam McAuley of the Whitepark flock from Bushmills, forked out the cash for this entry which also sold due to Scotsman Avicii, but carrying a single lamb.

Another by Yankee Boy from the Ballynahone flock made 4500gns selling to L Brown, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. She is bred from a Duncryne Uber Cool dam and sold due with a single to Ballynahone Bonus, a Scotsman Avicii son, along with with a Scotsman Avicii embryo pregnancy.

Matching that 4500gns bid was the best from Roger Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney flock. Another Tophill Yankee Boy daughter, out of a Duncryne Uber Cool dam, she changed hands carrying twins to Avicii, to Auldhouseburn. The gimmer's dam is maternal sister to the 9000gns Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride and the 10,000gns Tamnamoney Bushtown.

This year's sale was kicked off with a buyer's pick of ewe lambs from the Ballynahone, Forkins and Tamnamoney flocks which generated competitive bidding from the outset. Dearest here at 3700gns was a Ballynahone entry, purchased by Graeme Surtees, Ardachy, Stodday Village, Lancaster. She is by Ballynahone Winner, a Tamnamoney Tuborg Gold son, that was male champion at Lanark in 2015 and out of a Druncryne Uber Cool daughter. She is also an ET sister to 19,000gns gimmer sold at Northern Stars 2017.

OTHERLEADING prices

Gimmers – Auldhouseburn – 4400gns; 3000gns; 2900gns. Forkins and Cherryvale – 3100gns; 2800gns; 2200gns; 1900gns; 1600gns; 1400gns; 1100gns; 1100gns; 1000gns. Ballynahone – 2600gns; 1000gns. Tamnamoney – 2000gns; 1900gns;1800gns; 1700gns; 1600gns; 1550gns; 1400gns; 1400gns; 1300gns; 1100gns.

Ewe lambs – Forkins and Cherryvale – 3400gns. Tamnamoney – 1300gns.

FLOCK averages

In-lamb gimmers

Flock (No) Average (£)

Auldhouseburn (7) 4905.00

Forkins and Cherryvale (19) 1813.00

Tamnamoney (18) 1482.00

Ballynahone (17) 1328.00

Drumgooland and Windermere (14) 422.25

Clougher and Bushmills (4) 420.00