Barron family busy on Doncaster's opening day.

Byline: Edward Prosser reports from day one of the Doncaster Horses In Training Sale

TRAINER David Barron and his daughter Nicola McLeay picked up two of the better offerings at Doncaster yesterday on the opening day of the October Horses In Training Sale.

It was McLeay who topped the day when spending pounds 42,000 on two-year-old Equipe De Nuit, who was trained by Paul D'Arcy to finish second to subsequent Somerville Tattersall Stakes winner Ashram in a Newmarket maiden in August.

The Sulamani colt was also runner-up on his only other run in a Lingfield maiden and McLeay is hoping there is better to come.

"Someone rang me and asked me to buy them this horse, but I won't say who," said McLeay.

"He's an owner with horses both here and abroad so I'm not sure where this one will be trained. He liked the idea that this looked a progressive horse by Sulamani who should improve as he gets older."

Barron signed at pounds 28,000 for the following lot, Bosun Breese, another consigned from Paul D'Arcy's Newmarket stable.

The three-year-old won a maiden last season over 5f at Sandown, a handicap over the same course and distance in July and most recently finished second in a competitive contest at Ascot this month.

"He's for an owner who was looking for a solid sprint handicapper to have some fun with and hopefully this horse fits the bill," said Barron.

The Aga Khan - the major shareholder in DBS since its merger with Goffs - is offering several attractive horses in training at this sale.

Heading yesterday's draft from Mick Halford's yard was dualpurpose prospect Dirar, who won a conditions event over 1m4f at Downpatrick in April.

Northamptonshire-based owner Marcus Reeder paid pounds 35,000 for the King's Best three-year-old and is looking for a fruitful start to 2009 with his purchase.

"We'll give him a rest then hopefully we can get an invite to the Dubai Carnival,'" said Reeder.

"There could be better to come over a trip and after that we'll look to give him a spin over hurdles.

I'm not sure where he'll be trained, we'll see what happens with Dubai."

Another sold to go jumping was four-year-old Billy Dane, a 1m handicap winner at Redcar in June for trainer Richard Fahey who was bought for pounds 27,000 by Cumbrian handler Barry Murtagh.

"He's been bought for an existing owner of mine, James Callow, and was a good stamp of a horse.

Richard has schooled him and we'll do the same when we get him home, send him hurdling and see where we are," said Murtagh.

Highland Love, a dual 1m2f winner for Jedd O'Keeffe over the summer at Beverley and Chester, was originally bought in for pounds 27,000 but was later purchased privately by Isle of Man-based owner John Robertson for pounds 35,000.

The October Horses In Training Sale finishes today with a session starting at 10am.