Buying orders continued to flood into store sales as prices pushed into uncharted waters at Ballarat, particularly for heifers.
The yarding of 4508 cattle averaged $1392 a head.
The steer portion comprised 3015 head and averaged $1482 while the heifer yarding of 1474 averaged $1170.
Of the first 100 pens, with steers weighing 380-480 kilograms, prices seldom dropped below 400 cents a kilogram, with the majority selling between 400-425c/kg, with a top of 434c/kg.
As the steer weights dropped to the 320-380kg range, prices stayed around the 410-430c/kg, with a peak of 444c/kg.
Hereford steers sold in a range of 370-399c/kg.
In the heifers, most Angus heifers sold from 340-390c/kg, with a top of 414c/kg.
Estimates on some lighter lines of unweighed steers were quoted at more than 500c/kg and heifers at just under that level.
A large draft of 9-10 month-old steers sold by MT & CP Mullane, Ballan, topped at $1520 or 440c/kg for 23 steers weighing 345kg.
The Draffin family, Rowallan Lodge, Windermere, sold 10-11 month-old, Langi Kal Kal blood, steers, with the heaviest lead pen of 40, 409kg, selling for $1750 or 427c/kg.
In the first run of heavier steers, a consignment from P Hastings featured a pen of steers, 16-17 months, 615kg, that made $2020 or 328c/kg.
A pen of 36 steers account Bruanlea, 460kg, sold for $1980 or 430c/kg, while 19 steere sold account Burnside weighed 427kg and made $1850 or 433c/kg.
RA Smith and Son sold Hereford steers, 15-16 months, 373kg, for $1490 or 399c/kg.
Charinga Merinos forwarded a pen of 22 Hereford steers, 386kg, that sold for $1500 or 388c/kg.
As weights dropped to 270-320kg, prices on a liveweight basis rose and topped at 478c/kg for a pen of 28, 276kg, or $1320, by DG & HJ Kosch.
The Glenlogie Family Trust also forwarded a draft of lighter steers with the tops on a livewight basis being a pen of 23 at 305kg that sold for 449c/kg or $1370.
Denholm Green offered a line of steers, 10-11 months, with the lightest pen of 18 at 303kg selling for $1350 or 445c/kg.
The open auction steer section was dominated by a draft of 183 sold by Carngham Station.
These sold in six lines with the top 26 selling to $1330, the balance sold in a band between $1130 and $1310.
Nutrien auctioneer Xavier Shanahan said numbers crept up a bit on the back of the recent sales.
Mr Shanahan said that a soon as the cattle came back to the ideal feeder weights - 400 to 500kg - they were 30-40kg lighter than the lead steers but made the same dollars per head.
The bulk of the heavy weights went to Gippsland while feedlotters came in as weights dropped below 500kg.
He said heifer prices were extremely strong and should continue to attract a premium.
