The lure of large numbers of excellent quality cattle attracted a large buyer gallery and subsequently a massive lift in prices at the annual Ballarat feature steer sale.
Compared with the same sale in 2019, prices were as much as $300 to $500 a head higher across the weight and age ranges.
Recent sale results in the store and prime cattle pens also saw producers consign a large yarding of around 5500 head of grown and weaner steers.
Buyers attended from a NSW and South Australia adding to a strong contingent from western Victoria as well as across Gippsland.
TB White & Sons livestock agent and auctioneer Tom Madden said the yarding was a real credit to local breeders and vendors.
Mr Madden said there was a range of steers from 640 kilograms down to 250kg and all were exceptionally well bred.
The sale really "heated up" once the weights dropped slightly with plenty of support for cattle between $1800 and $1900.
He said it was "very strong" for feeder weight type calves, anything from 400 to 480kg.
On a liveweight basis, the range was between 410-440c/kg "for the right cattle".
Up to six feedlotters bid with good support from backgrounders while an export order added to the competition on Angus cattle in the right weight range.
Top price was $2320 for a pen of 10 steers, 720kg, sold by Eastern Hills, Blampied, and went to JBS.
R Fuller sold 14 Angus, 649kg, for $2150 or 331c/kg while SJ Mullane sold seven, 651kg, for $2100 or 322c/kg.
The majority of the heavy steers between 520 and 640kg sold for $1860 and $1980 or 322-420c/kg.
A line of 36 sold by Glenthompson Pastoral Co, 417kg, made $1980 or 420c/kg.
A consignment from Carrahil included a pen of 47 that weighed 462 and sold for $1970 or 426c/kg while a lighter pen of 15 at 428kg made $1819 or 422c/kg.
D Madden's lead pen of 15, 470kg, sold for $1940 or 412c/kg.
The heavier steers, 509kg, sold for $2000, or 392c/kg.
PG & KM Tallent forwarded 30 steers, 457kg, that made $1910 or 417c/kg.
As weights dropped slightly, prices lifted with a pen of 13 steers offered by Peterson that weighed 348kg, making $1550 or 445c/kg.
A pen of 35 by Eastern Hills, 421kg, sold for $1840 or 437c/kg.
Parklands offered 24 at 440kg that sold for $1890 or 428c/kg, while the tops of the Fraser Partners comprising a line of 17 at 446kg, sold for $1880 or 421c/kg.
Kininmonth Farms sold 16 at 422kg for $1810 or 429c/kg.
In the weaner offering, a pen of 18 by Mt Mercer Ag, 344kg, sold for $1520 or 441c/kg.
Bells Run had a pen of 30, 354kg, that sold for $1560 or 440c/kg, while RT & JN Keys sold 15, 340kg, for $1490 or 433c/kg and D Price offered 14 at 350kg making $1490 or 425c/kg.
The lighter end of the Lake Goldsmith Pastoral steers comprised a pen of 26 that weighed 432kg and sold for $1850 or 428c/kg.
The price matched that of the vendor's heavy steers, 526kg, that sold for $1850 or 351c/kg earlier.
Mallee Pine sold 14 steers, 350kg, that made $1490 or 425c/kg while H Wade and Sons had 22, 420kg, that sold for $1740 or 413c/kg and J & J Darbyshire sold nine, 339kg, for $1435 or 423c/kg.
G Ford sold 12 at 429kg, for $1740 or 405c/kg while the lead pen of the Alpha Park draft was a pen of 18 at 425kg that sold for $1710 or 401c/kg and a second pen of 27 at 375kg sold for $1500 or 400c/kg.
Braemanya sold 12 steers, 428kg, that made $1740 or 405c/kg and a pen of 15 by L & M Woodhead topped at $1700 for steers weighing 392kg, or 433c/kg.
Kia-Ora Pastoral sold 10 weighing 387kg for $1740 or 431c/kg.
A pen of 22 sold by C Jarrett, Coniston, 385kg, sold for $1640 or 425c/kg, while DJ & JL Briody received $1600 for a pen of 16 steers, 372kg, that came out at 430c/kg.
Also making $1600 or 425c/kg, was a draft of 17 by Granite View that weighed 376kg.
Ten steers sold by IG & HM Matthews that weighed 390kg made $1600 or 410c/kg.
C & E Calleja sold 31 steers, 307kg, for $1330 or 433c/kg.