Heifer prices started well and just got better as the sale progressed at the grown and weaner heifers feature sale at Ballarat on Friday.
Agents yarded 3144 head at the second of four weekly feature sales at the centre.
TB White & Sons auctioneer Tom Madden said the yarding was one of the best he had seen for a long time.
"A lot of our breeders and vendors breed and prepare specifically for this sale," Mr Madden said.
"The quality from pen one to the end was exceptional and the prices showed."
He said heavier heifers above 500 kilograms mostly made between 400-450 cents a kilogram.
The feeder-type cattle - 380-480kg - made 440-480c/kg and more in places when there was breeder and restocker inquiry.
Mr Madden said the top end of the weaner heifers was "just a tick over $2000 [a head] a couple of times", with the top lines going back into breeding programs.
"They worked out at a bit over 500c/kg, at 520-530c/kg, for 400kg-plus calves," he said.
"Once you slipped back in weights most of those heifers made anywhere from 480-580c/kg and the odd sale up around 600c/kg."
He said there was not much "colour difference" in price with feeders chasing the Euros and restockers chasing the Hereford calves.
The weaner yarding was the highlight of the sale with Shaw and Sons, Langdons Hill, topping the section with a pen of 12 weighing 383kg, 11-12 months, Franc blood, that made $2010 or 526c/kg.
A second run of 15 at 347kg sold for $1700 or 495c/kg.
Glenane Brothers, Dunnstown, sold a pen of 20 weighing 380kg, March/April-drop, Coolana and Te Mania blood, that made $2000 or 512c/kg.
A second cut of 15 at 337kg sold for $1730 or 513c/kg.
Alpha Pastoral sold a pen of 25 Barwidgee-blood heifers, 402kg, that made $1945 or 483c/kg.
The same vendor sold 26 at 375kg for $1860 or 496c/kg.
A pen of 27 sold account Jarlura, March/April-drop, Paringa and Langi Kal Kal blood, weighed 392kg and sold for $1930 or 492c/kg.
Janine Ryan, Mt Egerton, sold a pen of 11 heifers, 12-13 months, Langi Kal Kal blood, weighing 420kg for $1840 or 438c/kg.
A pen of 23 sold account KL Paterson, 10-11 months, weighing 370kg, sold for $1800 or 486c/kg.
A consignment of 85 heifers, March/April-drop, Pathfinder and Murdeduke blood, sold account Fraser Partners, Bo Peep, sold to a top of $1600 on a per head basis twice with a pen of 12 at 341kg making 469c/kg and the other a pen of 27 at 306kg or 522c/kg.
Wardor Run, Bungador, consigned 88, 11-12-months-old, Weeran blood, that sold in three pens with the tops being a pen of 40 at 324kg that made $1680 of 518c/kg.
Wolgan sold a pen of 35 weaners, 10-11 months, Ayrvale and Langi Kal Kal blood, weighing 320kg that made $1640 of 512c/kg.
A draft from Illawong included 12 Angus at 393kg that made $1770 or 450c/kg and 17 at 335kg for $1590 or 474c/kg.
A pen of Angus/Limousin-cross, 10-11 months, 327kg, made $1560 or 504c/kg and 19 Red Angus, 293kg sold for $1550 or 529c/kg.
R & WJ Hay, Cooromete, Pomborneit North, sold Hereford/Shorthorn-cross heifers after selling their breeding herd the week before.
The 11-month-old Gairnshiel-blood heifers sold to a top of $1580 for a pen of 22 at 360kg or 438c/kg.
Elders auctioneer Graeme Nicholson said all concerned were "very, very happy" with the buoyant market.
Mr Nicholson said the heavier heifers made "what they would as fats, but still good money".
He said those heifers below 450kg attracted the professional feedlotters and sold between 420-450c/kg.
He said below 400kg prices lifted to around 500c/kg and then below 350kg.
"That's where it escalated and the money looked really good," he said.
He said demand was widespread with feedlottters and backgrounders as well as processors shoring up supply for winter.
Top of the heavy heifers was $2200 for a pen of eight, 24 months, 583kg, sold account DF Haywood.
