BLOODSTOCK WORLD . . . JOHNSTON REPRESENTED AT INAUGURAL DONCASTER AUCTION.

DBS has catalogued 155 horses for its Lincoln Handicap Sale, the first auction to be held in the company's new sales complex near the racecourse on Leger Way on April 1.

The sale produced record-breaking returns last year with 108 horses selling for 813,400gns, a jump of 104 per cent from 2006, and an average of 7,531gns, an increase of 65 per cent.

The sale has been kept in the limelight by catalogue cover star Daytona, who won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. The son of Indian Ridge was sold for 56,000gns by Kingsley House Stables on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed to Peter Bowen last year. Mark Johnston's operation is again well represented with 13 horses, including winners Oberlin, Mafioso and Silent Master.

John Hills sends through Ledgerwood, a winner at Lingfield in January, while Sir Mark Prescott has entered the multiple winner Tilapia.

Charlie Mann's useful handicap chaser Nadover spearheads the jumpers, while Jonjo O'Neill has five entered including Basic Fact, who was successful over fences in December, and Hot Zone, a triple winner during the summer.

Two-year-olds by Elusive City, Kheleyf, Royal Applause, Kyllachy and Intikhab are also catalogued.

The full catalogue can be viewed at www.dbsauctions.com.

Hong Kong juvenile sale

ROUND two of the Hong Kong International Sale for two-year-olds in training is set to take place on Saturday at Sha Tin racecourse, a day ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby.

The 13 horses due to be sold were originally scheduled to go under the hammer with 20 others in December, but were unable to leave Australia due to the equine influenza outbreak.

With EI brought to heel, the juveniles arrived from Australia three weeks ago.

Selected by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the horses include four each by Australia's two most prominent stallions, Encosta De Lago and Redoute's Choice, as well as two by Red Ransom and lots by General Nediym, Rock Of Gibraltar and Dehere.

"After lengthy negotiations between club executives and government authorities in Australia and Hong Kong, we can finally look forward to a sale where quality is spread very generously between the 13 lots," said William Nader, executive director of racing.

The sale, open to HKJC members, will be followed by a ballot of 21 subscription griffins for horses selected from the Karaka Premier, Magic Millions and Inglis Melbourne Premier sales. These will be randomly allocated to permit-holders for HKEUR1.2 million (pounds 76,322/EUR99,580).

Galileos in demand

PROGENY of Galileo proved a big hit at the two-day Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale in Australia, with a filly by the leading stallion topping the sale when bought for AEUR160,000.

While Gallant Tess, a Group 2 winner at Randwick a fortnight ago, is his best southern hemisphere runner, he has proved a popular draw for breeders, covering 158 mares during the 2006-07 season, his last Australian sojourn.

The sales-topping filly, consigned by Mill Park Stud as agent and snapped up by trainer Leon Macdonald, hails from the excellent Aga Khan family that has produced the likes of the Prix Vermeille-winning duo Sharaya and Shawanda, also successful in the Irish Oaks.

Australia's equine influenza outbreak has already forced the major yearling sales out of their traditional January timeslots, and the disease was also blamed for the overall downturn in figures for the two-day Adelaide sale.

A weaker catalogue compared to previous years, due in large part to travel restrictions imposed to control the outbreak, saw 200 of the 313 yearlings catalogued gross AEUR5,258,000 (pounds 2,419,534/ EUR3,155,777), with a clearance rate of 72 per cent.

THE following stallions standing at Grovecourt Stud in Monmouthshire were omitted from the jumps sires table in Friday's pullout: Darnay (1991, Darshaan) pounds 1,250; Mutamarkiz (1997, Rainbow Quest) pounds 650.