Northern Ireland breeder, Matthew Burleigh, enjoyed the best of the day's trading at the Beltex Crackers female sale at Carlisle, selling four of the top five highest priced lots at 3600gns, 2200gns, 2000gns and 1800gns.

Dearest for Mr Burleigh's 55-strong ewe flock from Shanra, Enniskillen, was Matt's Dark Sky at Night, an ET gimmer by Hackney Corker ET out of the privately purchased Clary Whoopi Do ET, a Clary Supersonic-sired ewe that has bred tup and ewe lambs to 3500gns and 3100gns, respectively and is still going strong at five years of age. She sold carrying a single lamb to Ardstewart Angus, to Victoria and Gillian Bowring of the Windmill flock from The Park, Nether Langwith, Mansfield.

The same buyers also went to 2200gns and 1800gns for females. First was Matt's Demi Lovato ET, a gimmer bred from the Drumchapel Replay daughter, Langlands Tilly ET and sired by Murrays Code ET. She sold scanned for a pair to Hackney Corker ET, a Topflite Al Pacino son that has bred rams to 10,000gns.

Selling at 1800gns was the ewe lamb, Matt's Emma ET, another from the Clary Whoopi-Do ET flush and sired by Hackney Corker ET.

Later, Sion Jones, Frongoy, Pennant, Dyfed, went to 2000gns for Matt's Dolce and Gabanna ET, another gimmer by Hackney Corker, this time bred from the Hackney Wonderboy-sired Matt's Bridget Jones. She is carrying triplets to Ardstewart Angus.

Matching that 2000gns bid was the best from Andrew and Claire Wood's Withy Trees flock from Whittingham, Preston, purchased by Henry Jewitt, Gracies Farm, Romaldkirk, Barnard Castle. Withy Trees Dressed to the Nines is by Matt's Coco Pops ET and bred from the Wern Sycharth ET daughter, Corra Tulissa ET. She sold in lamb to Hackney Dazzler.

Averages: Matts flock – Five ewes, £453.60, 22 gimmers, £954.55; three ewe lambs, £1120.00; Withy Trees – three gimmers, £1137.50, three ewe lambs, £420.00; Tip Top – four ewes, £288.75; five gimmers, £661.50.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.