Averages: Lincoln Red – 12 bulls, £3780.00; 10 show maiden heifers, £808.50; 15 maiden heifers, £1044.75. Simmentals – Four bulls, £2620.00; three cows served and or suckling, £2030.00; 17 maiden heifers, £1578.09. Lopemede draft sale – 11 head, £1393.64.

Lincoln Reds were the highlight of the day at the English Premier Show and sale of pedigree Simmental, Lincoln Red and Salers cattle at Newark, last weekend, attracting the top three prices.

Dearest at 9000gns was the reserve senior male champion which sold north to Perthshire having been purchased by Sandy Anderson, buying for his Thistledown Cowford Farms enterprise, managed by Charlie Reed, at Bankfoot.

Mr Anderson who last year bought a number of top priced Beef Shorthorn females including the 11,000gns Beautry Shuna Liesl, went to this money for Donington Watchman, a two-year-old from JG Parkinson, Hillside Farm, Lough, Lincs. Reserve champion at last year's Heckington Show, he is by Foulness Leroy, a bull that bred Donington Jessie V12, the individual inter-breed champion at the Royal Welsh Show in 2018. The dam is the Beverley Kudos-sired Donington Molly P17 that has produced five live, unassisted calves since 2014.

Nottingham Consultants' Brackenhurst herd from Southwell, Notts, managed by Neil Hodgson, also came up with the goods, selling the second prize senior, Brackenhurst Wiseguy, for 6800gns to CS Page, Oak Tree Farm, Newport, East Yorkshire. He is by Beverley Raider and out of Stixwould Eileen, a Market Stainton Freddy daughter.

Andrew Mylius' 80-cow St Fort herd from Tayport, Fife, also enjoyed a good day with bull sales at 5300gns and 4100gns. Dearest was St Fort Wuthering Heights, the reserve junior male champion and a son of St Fort Squire – a bull which has had semen from him exported to USA, Canada and Australia. His dam is St Fort Hannah, a daughter of the record priced bull, Beverley Noble, purchased jointly for 18,000gns. The buyers were R and I Mee, Hathern, Loughborough, Lincs.

Minutes later, St Fort Wetherby a second prize winner at the pre-sale show, made 4100gns selling to MG Arnold and Sons, Claypole, Newark. The first son sold by the new stock sire, St Fort Timber, his dam, St Fort Frosty, is also by Beverley Noble.

Lincoln Red females peaked at 1700gns when Hemingby Bridget, a rising three-year-old heifer sold to AWJ Bambridge, Blicking, Aylsham, Norwich. Consigned by Michael Read, Brook House, Hemingby, Lincs, Bridget is by Hemingby Illustrious, bred from a previous home-bred Bridget by Auchmacoy Oakley, and sold due at the end of April to Brackenhurst Viper.

Topping the Simmental trade at 4300gns was the female champion and supreme overall from John and Craig Hollingsworth, Midhope Hall, Midhopestones, Sheffield. Living up to her name was Midhope I Am The Best, a May 2017-born daughter of the 6800gns Woodhall Everhart, out of the Dirnanean Snowie-sired Midhope Amber. She was purchased by SW Smith, Oakerthorpe, Alfreton, Derbyshire.

Next best amongst the females was a 2600gns bid given by CF Parker, Little Newsham, Darlington, for Nigel Darling's Lopemede Wheat Ear 4, a six-year-old polled cow from Long Meadow Barn, Intwood. She is by Hestehaven Ebenhard and sold with September born-born heifer calf at foot by Blue Cedar Horatio.

Two bulls sold for 2800gns to include DA and LA Sapsed's Heathbrow Infamous, an August 2017-born son of Heathbrow Grand Slam out of Dirnanean Girlie E31 Ex90, from High Heath Farm, Hitchin. He sold to Baumber Park Farms, Horncastle, Lincs.

Matching that bid was the reserve male champion Burghbridge Isaiah, a similarly aged bull by the 10,000gns Corkie Freddie 14. Consigned by CJG Clarke and Partners, Villa Farm, Otley, he was knocked down to RG Taylor and Sons, Hogsthorpe, Skegness.

And, the select sale of Salers was topped at 4000gns by the last lot in the catalogue, Rigel Mallory Poll, from Terrence Pye, Leven Fields, Yarm. This two-year-old purchased by EJW Holman and Partners, Mill Row, Aylsham, is by Rigel Verdun Poll and out of Rigel Opaline Poll.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington and Newark Livestock Market