Although cheaper, and significantly in places compared to the month earlier market, demand for store cattle remained exceptionally keen at Ballarat on Friday when supply numbers spiked for an October-sale high yarding of 3600.
The sale, which was conducted again in soaking rain, drew a large contingent of restocker buyers along with a small band of willing feedlot and butcher representatives who all appeared hungry for numbers.
The quality of the yarding was also outstanding and given the recent months of wet weather, most vendor lines were presented in forward store to prime condition and minus their winter hair.
The market for steers opened strongly with lot feeders and Gippsland bullock finishers operating in a price range of 330-360c/kg.
The opening pen of the sale, a yard of 17 Angus steers weighed at 567kg, made $1800 a head for ND Otterley while Sunnydale sold 15 Angus, 474kg at $1710.
However the market top of $1850 a head was achieved midway through the steer yarding when a yard of 36 Parkland Angus steers, 415kg, was the centre of a disputed bid and made a further $200 after the initial knockdown.
Most steers on the day were sold in the 360- 385c/kg price bracket while heifers were back 20-40c trading at 330-370c/kg prices.