ONE of the first sons offered by Stoney Point stud's record priced bull - Fever Pitch F93 - turned the heat up in the sale ring on Monday making the $9500 top price.
Fever Pitch F93 was sold at the 2012 sale to Queensland stud Raff Angus for $19,000 and is now ranked second in the Angus breed for 600 day weight.
This year's sale topper at the seventh annual Performance Plus bull sale, Stoney Point Juggernaut had many of the same attributes as his high performance sire.
The AI bred bull was one of the heaviest of the spring drops weighing 758 kilograms at 18 months of age and was out of a Midwest daughter who has consistently produced good sale bulls.
Her previous three sons have averaged $5000.
Juggernaut was bought by Kangaringa Station, Keith who bought five bulls for a $4900 average.
Landmark agent Noel Evans said the commercial breeders was looking for moderate framed, early maturing bulls to breed progeny for the weaner and feeder markets.
The sale topper stood out with his depth, butt shape and spring or rib as well as great balance of figures.
He was in the top 1pc of the breed for gestation length, 400 and 600 day weight and carcase weight
It was a stellar first sale since the joint venture between Perry Gunner, Coorong Designer Angus, Meningie and stud principal John Gommers announced last year.
Fifty six of 66 bulls averaging $4464- a lift of $360 on 2014's sale.
In the breakdown 25 of 28 autumn drop (March to May 2013 drop) topped at $8000 and averaged $4400, while 31 of 38 spring drop (August to October 2013 drop) bulls topped at $9500 and averaged $4516.
There was some outstanding buying at the Coorong Designer sale complex at Naracoorte with 30 bulls selling for $4000 or less.
Eighty four per cent of the bulls sold to repeat buyers from western Victoria to the Mid North and even Eyre Peninsula
Buyers were spoilt for choice in the catalogue with six or seven different sire lines.
There was keen competition on the first sons of AI sire Werner Westward with 10 bulls averaging $5650.
Among these Westward sons included the $8500 second top priced bull, Stoney Point Jack Frost J213- also a spring drop- knocked down to Doug and Di Ashby, South Taunta, Tintinara.
"He (Westward) is one of the first really high carcase bulls from the US we have really added to our program. He is very good from a phenotype and structural basis. Too many of the bulls we have looked at using in the past have fallen down making them hard to use ," Mr Gommers said.
The $8000 highest priced autumn drop bull, Stoney Point Jet Away J87 was knocked down to Muster Pastoral, Mundulla.
The Sitz Dash 10277 son had been a stand out since a calf and Stoney Point has retained a semen interest to use in the stud.
Emu Springs Pastoral, Tintinara were the sale's volume buyer with six bulls between $4500 and $5500.
A number of buyers bought four bulls each including Lake Ellen Pastoral who averaged $4125 for their buys.
Mr Gommers said it was an "extremely pleasing" result considering many of their local clients had sold cows through the dry spring and did not need their usual bull numbers for this year's matings.
"The large number of repeat buyers is always a good vote of confidence in our breeding program."
"Many of our clients have said that the bulls stand up well structurally and produce the product they want which is what we are aiming for," he said.
Spence Dix & Co were selling agents with director Jonathan Spence the auctioneer.
"When you analyse all the bull sales at the end of the week the Stoney Point bulls do always stick out as being outstanding value for money."
"There was a lot of comments from past purchasers about the longevity and lack of break downs they have had with the bulls," he said.
Mr Spence said the good selection of calving ease bulls with high growth and carcase figures were keenly sought after and vendors were well rewarded for them.
The dry season had impacted on herd numbers but he said many astute producers were using this year to buy bulls ahead of anticipated price rises in 2016.
"It is a great time to change over and while they don't absolutely have to buy this year they are seeing it as the best way to go."
"They don't want to be caught come next year at bull sales averaging $6000 or more and needing to buy double the numbers."