NSW agents competed with local restockers and feedlots on nearly 4000 head of grown females and heifer weaners at Ballarat.
Feedlots were also active on the heavier portion of the annual Ballarat grown female and heifer weaner sale.
Agents yarded 3901 head of grown females and heifers.
Graeme Nicholson, Elders, said there was strong competition on the heavier cattle.
"There was Ravensworth, there was Jindalee (Teys), there was Landmark Leongatha," Mr Nicholson said.
Radford's, Warragul, also bought stock, as did Gathercole's.
"This is by far the dearest sale we have had for a long time," he said.
"Our last sale was in December, and it's anywhere between 40-60 cents a kilogram dearer."
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Mr Nicholson said most of the lighter cattle went back to restockers, with some for breeding.
Commission buyers were active and cattle went as far as Hay, Gunnedah, Dubbo and Manilla, NSW.
"There is going to be a shortage of cattle, supply and demand," Mr Nicholson said.
Jamie McConachie, Charles Stewart, Ballarat, said the job was "on fire".
"It's gaining momentum, day by day, it seems," he said.
"We had an amazing sale here last Friday, and it carried on through to the younger, unjoined females."
He said the female sale started with prices in excess of 300c/kg, for heifers weighing more than 500kg, and progressively increased.
"It quickly went up to 325c/kg and 350c/kg consistently, and even beyond, on the well-bred weaner type heifers," he said.
"It went up to 380-390c/kg and possibly even 400c/kg in some cases."
The top pen of the day was 18 Angus heifers, 506kg, which sold for $1600 a head, or 316c/kg.
Mr McConachie said feedlots were having trouble securing the right price and weight.
"There is a lot of backgrounding interest going on for those well-bred, smaller type cattle, that didn't achieve that minimum 350kg consignment entry weight for feedlots," he said.
Xavier Bourke, TB White & Sons, said it was an outstanding outcome.
"The job would be a couple of hundred dollars a head up, on most cattle," Mr Bourke said.
"The big, heavy grown cattle were getting in excess of 340-350c/kg.
"A lot of the price was driven by feedlots."
He said there was plenty of weight, right throughout the yarding, but even lighter cattle sold for around $1000.
Rain also continued to drive prices up.
J Dickerson sold a pen of seven Langi Kal Kal-blood heifers, 440kg, for $1460, or 331c/kg.
PG and SM Mullane sold a pen of 13 Banquet-blood heifers, 306kg, for $1040, or 339c/kg.
Eastern Hill sold a pen of 25 Coolana and Murdeduke-blood heifers, 403kg, for $1450, or 359c/kg.
A second pen of 42, 302kg, sold for $1090, or 360c/kg.
Avila Partnership sold a pen of 15 heifers, 333kg, for $1080, or 324c/kg.
Pardoo Cattle Company sold a pen of 72 Pathfinder and Rennylea-blood heifers, 390kg, for $1300, or 333c/kg.
Gerald Dalton sold a pen of 19 Anvil-blood heifers, 357c/kg, for $1050, or 357c/kg.
Oxbrow Farms sold a pen of 25 Te Mania-blood heifers for $1560, or 339c/kg.
Yanika Pty Ltd sold its complete drop of Deloraine-blood heifers.
Its pen of 26 heifers, 399kg, sold for $1290, or 323c/kg.
A second pen of 18 heifers, 361kg, sold for $1190, or 329c/kg.
Watgaina sold a pen of 21 Coonong Station-blood heifers, 327kg, for $990, or 302c/kg.
Deebys Way sold a pen of 11 Francs-blood heifers, 441kg, for $1420, or 321c/kg.
Daelroem Angus sold a pen of 29 Merridale-blood heifers, 406kg, for $1420, or 349c/kg.
Corangamite Park sold 23 Red Angus heifers, Inglewood and Tullatoola-blood, 452kg, for $1460, or 323c/kg.
R&L Sullivan sold a pen of nine Francs-blood Angus heifers, 450kg, for $1450, or 322c/kg.
BJE Ag sold 14 Angus heifers, 460kg, for $1540, or 334c/kg.
Langulac, Hawkesdale, sold 25 Pathfinder and Weeran-blood heifers, 432kg, for $1470, or 340c/kg.
A second pen of 36 heifers, 366kg, sold for $1200, or 327c/kg.
Brackenhurst sold a pen of 28 Kyah Park-blood heifers, 16-17 months-old, 440kg, for $1480, or 336c/kg.
Dweal Pty Ltd sold a pen of 16 Angus heifers, 433kg, for $1500, or 346c/kg.
G & J White sold 48 Te Mania-blood heifers, 404kg, for $1390, or 344c/kg.
W & EW Nisbett sold a pen of nine Barwidgee and Banquet-blood heifers, 431kg, for $1435, or 332c/kg.
DJ & AL Briody sold 46 Anvil-blood heifers, 295kg, for $1060, or 359c/kg.
G Dalton sold a pen of 19 Anvil-blood heifers, 294kg, for $1050, or 357c.kg.
AL & JN McKenzie sold 11 Dysart and Murdeduke-blood heifers, 476kg, for $1550, or 325c/kg.
Mount Mercer sold a pen of Murdeduke-blood heifers, 324kg, for $1080, or 333c/kg.
Blowhard Pastoral sold 14 heifers, 335kg, for $1120, or 334c/kg.
Bells Run sold a pen of 25 High Spa-blood heifers, 407kg, for $1380, or 339c/kg.
J & J Darbyshire sold a pen of 25 9-10 month-old Francs-blood heifers, 348kg, for $1110, or 318c/kg.
RC & EE Douglas sold 46 Angus heifers, Mytty in Focus-blood, 412kg, for $1400, or 339c/kg.