Newmarket auctioneers are celebrating after running a record- breaking horse sale.
More than £10,500,000 changed hands at Tattersalls bloodstock auctioneers - with one punter paying £625,000 for a single horse.
Green Desert was the highest-priced at a two-day Breeze Up sale, which took 70 per cent more cash than last year.
Edmond Mahony, Tattersalls chairman, said: “It is not often a sale completely rewrites the record books, but we have done just that.
“Green Desert was obviously the individual highlight of what has been a truly memorable sale, but the feature of the trade which has given most cause for optimism has been the depth of the demand.
“Tribute has to be paid to the vendors who have sent us such a special collection of two-year-olds.”
Around 200 horses were up for auction at, in terms of value, the third- largest sale of its kind in the world.
A colt bred from former Derby winner Galileo was sold for 390,000 guineas (£409,000) and a relative of Danehill was bought for 280,000 guineas (£294,000).
Mr Mahony said he was optimistic before the sale but “would not have predicted such massive rises across the board”.
The previous turnover record for a sale at Tattersalls was £525,000, set two years ago.
He said: “The catalogue was universally acclaimed as the best ever for a European Breeze Up sale from the moment it appeared and the buyers have responded in spectacular fashion.”
Among the other colts and fillies on sale was Saberon, a relative of infamous racehorse Rock of Gibraltar.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson fought an ill-tempered ownership battle over the horse with a former partner, last year.
Saberon went for 400,000 (£420,000).
The sale is called a Breeze Up because horses are galloped along the racecourse in front of the public.

Posted: 04|23|06 at 9:52 am. Filed under: UK News.