Cavan's youngstock sale last Wednesday returned joint top lots by leading show jumping sire Kannan, each fetching €4,000, in a subdued renewal where a clearance rate of 42% saw the average fall from €2,062.06 to €1,639.06 on 2015 figures.

Norman Allen was delighted with his purchase of fellow Meath man Aonghus Lougran's striking Kannan colt foal out of a Guidam dam sire (Lot 27).

Two lots later, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) also received €4,000 for their liver chesnut filly by Kannan, bought by Dessie Blacker on behalf of a friend. CAFRE equine lecturer, Gayle Moane said that the foal is out of Imp Lux (by Lux Z), a 2008 mare the college bought at Goresbridge for their breeding unit.

Ringford Stud's Diane Eakin tried to buy supplementary entry Ard Popsicle (Lot 42A) in the ring, but after the filly was led out unsold at €3,800, quickly came to an agreement at that price with Heather Wright, who led up irelandhorse.com's filly. The foal is a daughter of the Dutch Warmblood Ice Man (a 2013 son of Amaretto out of the five-star mare Perpetua (by Lux Z), and is out of the Ard Ohio mare Ard Caramel.

Following a deal outside the ring, Sligo breeder Gerard Jennings accepted Des O'Brien's offer of €3,000 for Lot 24, Ballyfree Quality Dream, a colt by OBOS Quality 004 out of the Cavalier Royale mare Another Dream who jumped to 1.30m.

The good-looking bay won a Horse Sport Ireland eventing foal qualifier in early August at Tubberbride, while his fully sister was reserve champion in the series last year.

Derena Crystal Rose (Lot 61) could not fail to attraction attention as she galloped around prior to her appearance in the sales ring and Anne Dixon from Gormanstown looks to have picked up a real bargain when securing the bay filly for just €3,000. From the second crop of the Zangersheide stallion Pollux De Muze Z, who is being produced locally by Clem McMahon, Crystal Rose is out of the 2013 Pacino mare Derena Elegant Lady, now in foal to Guidam.

Derena Crystal Rose and her dam were bred around 10 miles away from Cavan by Francis Tubman, who, quite understandably, was disappointed not only with the price the filly achieved but that she hadn't been selected for the previous week's Elite Foal Sale.

The highest price paid for a yearling was the €2,000, given by Noel McKee for Deerpark Manor's Revelation DPM (Lot 11). The bay filly by Hermes de Reve was consigned by Carlanstown's John McGearty, who bred her out of the thoroughbred mare Gone Away (by Rudimentary). This is her second foal, following a 2014 colt by Porsch.

IRISH DRAUGHT SALE

Last Thursday's sale of Irish Draught foals, yearlings, broodmares and some older geldings saw 48 find new homes but the average dropped from €1,508 to €1,195.

Sale-topping honours fell to one of the older geldings when Sligo Irish Draught producer Sophie Meehan parted with €3,300 for Lot 189, Pat Scarry's unnamed five-year-old by Shenandoah Prince Holly. The liver chesnut, who was bred in Co Laois by John Dunne, out of the Townrath Pride mare Townrath Mist, has hunted and has also dome some jumping at training shows.

Coming forward towards the end of the sale, two Class 1 mares activated a little interest from the bidders, Sam Carson giving Galway breeder Tom Burke €2,000 for the 13-year-old Kensons Mosaic bay Elmhurst Caoimhe (Lot 202A) who is in foal to Castlegar Fin Grove.

Adrian Burke had to spend €50 more to secure Lot 206, Gareth McElhinney's Crosstown Riverdance, who is in foal to Dunsandle Diamond.

This 12-year-old grey by Crosstown Dancer was bred by the late Fintan Branigan out of the Rakish Paddy mare Crosstown Jewel, a multiple show winner herself and an own-sister to the much-beribboned pair, Rosetown Annie and Crosstown Annie.