THE AGENTS had no trouble finding a nod in the crowd from the start at the Wodonga sale last Thursday.
A lift of 900 head on the advertised yarding bumped the offering to 3400 and spirited bidding was seen throughout.
It was clear on the day that the Angus breed was attracting the premium dollar.
Steers weighing 200 kilograms to 280kg made from $470 to $645, while 280kg to 330kg steers sold from $590 to $745.
Prices for steers above 330kg ranged from $695 to $820.
Lighter steers sold from around 151 cents a kilogram.
Agent Leigh McEvoy, Corcoran Parker, said the quality cattle sold well, and the Angus cattle had a strong presence in the yards.
"The bulk of the yarding was Angus and there were alot of spring-drop calves," he said.
"There was more interest in steers but the heifer market has still been strong."
Mr McEvoy said most of his clients are restocking.
"It (the market) has the potential to lift and go another level if the weather goes with us," he said.
A feature of the sale was the herd dispersal of GA Sykes and Sons, Rylands, Humula, which offered 250 mixed aged Angus pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows, 50 Hereford PTIC cows and 200 Angus mixed-sex weaners.
Baxter Brothers, Barnawatha, sold 22 Angus steers to a top of $898.
The lot weighed an average of 413 kilograms and well cleared the 200c/kg benchmark that held throughout the sale, making 217c/kg.
Charolais steers made $880, offered by Victorian vendor Chris Carrol, Mansfield.
L Nankervis, Laceby Park, Oxley, also found good money fetching $875 for 18 weaned 12-month-old Angus steers, that weighed an average of 436kg, and had Witherswood and Jarobee blood.
Younger Angus steers offered by the Cleeland family, Mansfield, Victoria, sold to $685 (227c/kg), for their pen of 18 nine-month-old steers that weighed an average of 302kg and had Riga and Ardrossan blood.
Their younger lot (averaged 263kg) of eight Angus, same blood, steers made $620 (236c/kg).
Arcadia Cattle Company, Arcadia, Vic, sold a strong line of 100, seven to eight-month-old black steers.
The first lot were secured by Houston Pastoral Company, Wodonga, for $645 (232c/kg).
The 40 head had Table Top blood and weighed an average of 278kg.
A lighter yard of 60, same description, steers that weighed an average of 257kg almost found the same money, with $642 (250c/kg).
Herefords sold well with Alpine Cattle Company, Mudgegonga, securing $765 for 16 head.
The breed consistently tipped the 200c/kg mark.
Older (11 to 13-month-old) Hereford steers finished around $750 (212c/kg), while some of the lightest in the yarding at an average of 199kg made $412 (207c/kg).
Weaner Euro calves offered by Brewag Pty Ltd, Koetong, Vic, sold for $705 (189c/kg).
The eight seven-month-old Simmental steers weighed an average 374kg.
Most Euro steers sold from $445-$752.
Cows and calves were down on recent sales selling from $800-$1120.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers made from $600 to $825, with PTIC Angus cows finishing at $960.
Three Angus cross heifers topped the young female yarding at $800.
The bulk of the heifers hovered around 170c/kg.
Jim Hoy, Culcairn, sold two strong pens with the first lot of 30 12-month-old weaned Angus, Rennylea-blood, heifers, that weighed an average of 292kg closing at $590 (202c/kg).
Their younger sisters, that weighed an average of 261kg, sold for $560 (215c/kg).
Hereford heifers sold around 170c/kg to 190c/kg.
Lighter black heifers sold for 110c/kg.
The sale was conducted by Elders, Corcoran Parker and Landmark.