Ave topped Day 1 of the Keeneland January Sale with a bid of $1.40 million from Shadai Farm’s Teruya Yoshida on Monday.

Ave (Danehill Dancer) captured the G3 Lavarack Stakes in Ireland prior to arriving in North America where she progressed to a G1 victory in the Flower Bowl Stakes.  She was consigned by Three Chimneys Sales as agent.

Ave topped a robust day’s trade that witnessed significant increases in both turnover and average.  On Monday, 187 horses brought a total of $10.68 million at an average of $57,153.  That was a rise of 54%, however, the median was unchanged at $20,000.

“Ave has a fabulous European pedigree,” Three Chimneys president Case Clay said.  “And she is a stakes winner in Europe and a G1 winner here so she’s a very international mare.”

Last start G1 Alcibiades Stakes winner Wickedly Perfect (Congrats) was next best on the leader board at $800,000.  She is was purchased by Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida.

“Monday’s top-selling mares are all outstanding individuals,” Keeneland director Geoffrey Russell said.  “They generated a lot of buzz and we would like to acknowledge two long-standing clients in Teruya and Katsumi Yoshida for their support.”

The 2009 Alcibiades Stakes winner Negligee brought $625,000.  The Northern Afleet mare was purchased by Fergus Galvin and Adrian Regan on behalf of a Hunter Valley Farm client.  “She’s a lovely filly,” Regan said. “It was a bit more than we wanted to pay, but it probably was a fair price.  Two years ago she would have been a million-dollar mare.”

Keeneland’s five-day sale resumes on Tuesday and runs through to Friday.