The pre-Christmas Northern Stars Texel in-lamb gimmer sale returned to Ballymena Livestock Market, achieving a 94% clearance rate and with 32% of the females sold reaching four figure sums and averaging 1100gns for 87, it was testament to demand for quality pedigree Texel females.

The sale leader at 4500gns came from Roger Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney flock, Coleraine. This was a Scotsman Ace-sired gimmer out of a dam by Duncryne Uber Cool. She sold in lamb to the £16,000 Proctors Cocktail with a single, going to Gary Beacom’s Lakeview Flock Co Fermanagh.

The next leading price for Tamnamoney was a Scotsman Avicii daughter, out of another Uber Cool dam, again in lamb with a single to Cocktail. She sold to Michael Power, Co Limerick, for 3800gns.

Mr Power bought the next Tamnamoney lot into the ring, for 2800gns. A Millar’s Windbrook daughter, her grand-dam is full sister to the £8000 Tamnamoney Ultimate. She sold in lamb to Tamnamoney Casanova, a favourite Clarks Bolt son.

Knocked down for the same money was an ET Scotsman Ace daughter. Carrying twins to Proctors Cocktail, she was the pick of Darragh Cunniffe, Tuam, Co Galway.

Taking the second top price of the day, at 4000gns, was Newtownabbey breeder, Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock. A Duncryne Uber Cool daughter out of a Knock Travis dam, she is from one of the best families in the flock. Carrying a single to Proctors Cocktail she sold to John Sherratt, Shropshire, and Arthur O’Keefe, for the Annakisha flock, Shropshire.

Welsh breeder, Alun Jones, of the Ynystoddeb flock, Llangadog, purchased Mr Gault’s next best for 3600gns. An Avicii daughter and ET sister to the £5000 Forkins Baz and the 2019 all Ireland champion, this gimmer sold in lamb to Halbeath Woody.

The Forkins pen sold another at 2800gns. A Scotsman Ace daughter, her dam, an Uber Cool-sired ewe, was Ballymena Show champion as a gimmer and comes from one of the best bloodlines in the flock. In lamb to Proctors Cocktail, she headed home with Richard Wilson, Raphoe, Co Donegal.

Topping the Knap pen at 3500gns from Robert Cockburn, Errol Perth, was another Amigo daughter, out of a Clintery Yuga Khan. Also in lamb to Cannon Ball and scanned with triplets, she also headed to the South of Ireland to join Rodney McLoughlin’s flock, in Clonmany, Co Donegal.

Giving the sale a flying start was the Knap consignment’s first lot into the ring, which generated competitive bids for a Mullan Amigo daughter bred out of a dam by Ettrick Vital Spark. She is scanned with twins to Sportsman’s Cannon Ball and was bought by Paddy Morrissey, Callan, Co Kilkenny, for 3200gns.

The Knap pen sold another two for 3000gns apiece.

First off was a Proctors Yankee daughter out of a Tamnamoney Tuborg Gold-sired ET sister to the £5000 Bugsy Malone. In lamb with twins to Cannon Ball, she also went home with Richard Wilson.

Making the same money and joining Gary Beacom’s Lakeview flock, Co Fermanagh, was another in lamb to Cannon Ball, this time with a single pregnancy. She is one of the last daughters bred from Connachan Sugarbabe, the dam of Knap Vicious Sid, a 145,000gns ram.