Holstein females from the Savoire Fare family proved the star attraction at Andrew Birkle's on-farm Whinchat sale, attracting the top two prices at 8500gns and 7800gns.

The sale at Dungehill Farm, which saw just shy of £565,000 change hands, saw no fewer than 25 animals sell at or above the £4000 mark with a further 49 selling for £3000 or more.

A former Holstein UK Premier Pedigree Herd, the Whinchat sale saw prices peak at 8500gns for the 17-month-old Whinchat Unix Savoire Fare, bred from 10 generations of cows averaging Ex94.4 points, with the last three being LP100. Bred from Whinchat Shottle Savoire Fare Ex-96-7, she is by Croteau Lesperron Unix and sold to the O’Connor family from Kanturk, Co Cork in the Republic of Ireland.

Her older, maternal sister, Whinchat Atwood Savoire Fare, by Maple-Downs-I G W Atwood, made 7800gns selling across the water to the Netherlands with Cees De Jong, buying for the Jongsteins herd from Hoogblokland. This recently calved two-year-old is a full sister to the 12,500gns Whinchat Atwood Savoire Fare 5 ET, sold at the 2018 Black and White sale.

Just behind, on 7700gns, Whinchat Dreams Amy 2 VG-86-2yr, by Heavenly Gold Dreams, sold down to Wales with Messrs Thomas and Son, Llancwm, Kidwelly, Dyfed. Recently calved in her second, Amy is bred from six successive generations of Excellent-classified cows, being out of the Ex-90 SP cow, Echo Dorcy Amy, with her fifth dam being Sunnylodge Skychief Amy.

Whinchat Integral Molli Red VG88, a four-year-old red and white, and a twin to a heifer made 7200gns selling to Messrs McCorry, Craigavon, Co Armagh. A Blondin Integral daughter that gave more than 9435kg in her first, she calved her second in May and sold served to Luck-E Absolute Awesome Red.

Messrs Waring and Son, Beverley, North Humberside, bought two of the sale leaders at 6600gns and 6500gns. Dearest was the April 2017-born Whinchat Eudon Star VG-85-2yr, a Go-Farm Royal Eudon daughter bred from Whinchat Dorcy Star Ex-91-2, SP. She sold fresh in her second.

Selling for 6500gns to the same buyers was the similarly aged Whinchat Control Express VG-88 2yr, which sold served carrying her second to Avant-Garde Unix Select. She is by JK Eder-I Control and bred from the Ex-95-4 SP LP60 cow, Whinchat Fever Express.

Another three females made 6500gns with the first being Whinchat Diamondback Molli Red, a 19-month-old by Mr D Apple Diamondback, bred from the Ex-96-4 SP LP60 Whinchat Destry Molli Red. The buyers were Messrs Lomax and Son, Hill Chorlton, Newcastle, Staffordshire.

Selling up to Cumbria with Messrs Greenop, Wigton, on the same price tag was the four-year-old Whinchat Bomba Savoire Fare GP88, a daughter of the Ex-94-4 LP60 cow, Whinchat Shottle Fare 3, sired by Bovo Bomba. She sold served in March to Duckett Crush Tatoo.

The last of the 6500gns bids came for the four-year-old, Whinchat Dorcy Zandra 2 VG88, a Coyne-Farms Dorcy daughter bred from the Ex90 Whinchat Gerard Zandra. She sold served to Croteau Lesperron Unix, to the Elite Haven herd from the Republic of Ireland.

Another selling across the Irish Sea, this time with Messrs Robinson, Crossgar, Downpatrick, at 6000gns was Whinchat Goldchip Express, an in-calf heifer by Mr Chassity Gold Chip, out of the Ex-91-3 SP LP60, Whinchat Fever Express 2. She changed hands served in February to Croteau Lesperron Unix.

Matching that price when selling down to Crediton, Devon, with Messrs Norman, was the 16-month-old Whinchat Atwood Star 6, bred from the Ex96-4 SP LP50 cow, Whincat Damion Star and by Atwood.

Averages: 50 cows in milk, £3051.30; 66 heifers in milk, £2674.30; four in-calf heifers, £3346.60; 67 bulling heifers, £2474.20; 51 heifer calves, £1860.10; five bulls, £2533.40. Overall, 223 head, £2533.40.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington and Norton and Brooksbank.