A yarding of 5742 head at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange at Mortlake saw weaner steers sell to 836 cents a kilogram and grown steers to $3272.
It was a good quality yarding that attracted buyers from South Australia, the Riverina, Coonamble, Tamworth, Albury and all areas of Gippsland.
Local and regional buyers were also active and feedlotters weighed in on suitable cattle.
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Weaner heifers averaged 635c/kg and topped at 748c/kg while the weaner steers averaged 675c/kg and topped at 836c/kg.
Kerr & Co livestock agent Zac van Wegen, Hamilton, said the draft forwarded by Chas and Cass Kimpton's Toora West herd at Glenthompson, was outstanding.
He said the draft of 352 steers, 18-19 months old, headlined the category setting at a benchmark of average 523 kilograms and $3119 a head.
"It was remarkable really and the same guy who has been buying them for many years bought them," Mr van Wegen said.
"He knows what they do and he knows they grow big and can handle a bit of weight.
"The cattle keep growing without turning to fat and have got the structure and bone to stand up to it."
He said the opportunities to buy big runs of steers are few and far between.
He said the sale trend held consistently with the odd exception in the past month.
Mr van Wegen said the prime job was "pretty good" at the moment but that could change as winter beconned and supply became an issue.
There were some fairly big contacts around for June, July and August which gave feeders confidence to "go and buy", he said.
Toora Wes also forwarded 227 heifers, 18-19 months, unjoined, that were also sought after by repeat purchasers.
Mr van Wegen said Brett Stewart, Wimmera Downs, Stawell, had bought the heifers for the past five years and put together 190 this year.
The heifers were sent for joining and sold in Ballarat at its February female sale.
Mr van Wegen said the heifer job overall attracted strong competition from feedlotters as well as breeders chasing a few of the better bred weaners heifers.
He said store supply numbers were uncertain but the wide drawing area of Mortlake and price would ensure numbers.
"We're just comino that time of year when we start selling a lot of spring-drop weaner calves, so that will keep us going," he said.
"The interesting part will be in the heavy feeder cattle and how far that will run into the year with plenty of blokes getting through their feeders now."
LMB Livestock's Bernie Grant, said the sale was "good, very, very strong".
He said a highlight of the young steer section was a consignment from Darren Fenton and Caroline Coggins, DCF Marine, Karabeal.
"The steers were in the 260 to 340kg range which everybody is chasing," he said.
"The 260kg pens made 818 cents a kilogram, which was above what I thought they could make, but that's what happens when you get two people on them who want them."
Mr Grant said the sale was stronger, but in patches.
"The heavy cattle were dearer in pars, but the sale was not significantly dearer.
"It was a better run of cattle from a month ago, and when you get the northern buyers itr peaks their interest."
The Toora West steers set the tone with 97 weighing an average of 582kg making 562c/kg or $3272 a head.
The next draft of 104 at 533kg went the same way for 594c/kg or $3166.
The next two drafts comprising a line of 99 at 498kg and 52 at 442kg went to one buyer at 622c/g or $3099 and 628c/kg or $2778 respectively.
The heifer portion of the Toora West offering sold almost exclusively to repeat buyer Wimmera Downs, Stawell.
Topping the draft per head was a pen of 12 at 494kg at $3103 or 628c/kg.
Two other pens topped at $3089 and $3036 comprising 13 at 483kg and 13 at 491kg making 628c/kg.
The Moorak Trust sold a pen of 30 steers, 508kg, for $610c/kg or $3102 and a second pen of 37 at 501kg for 610c/kg or
$3058. The same vendor sold eight black baldy steers, 495kg, for 592c/kg or $2934.
Barwdgee sold nine steers, 511kg for 608c/kg or $3110.
Glenwood Pastoral forwarded a pen of 24 steers, 581kg, that made 552c/kg or $3209.
J & T Kerger sold a pen of black baldy steers, 483kg, for 514c/kg, or $2970 and 10 at 588kg for 490c/kg or $2881.
Green Hills offered a consignment of Murray Grey steers and heifers with 22 steers at 508kg making 590c/kg or $2998 and 18 at 455kg for 606c/kg or $2762.
The Green Hills heifers sold to 588c/kg for a pen of 23 at
404kg, while 18 at 469kg made 530c/kg or $2489.
Tops of the wean steers on a liveweight basis was a pen of 21 at 202kg sold account Ballaarook that made 836c/kg or $1688.
Same vendor sold 53 at 236kg for 803c/kg or $1904.
The heifers from this draft included 46 at 276kg that made 770c/kg or $2127.
Thirty-five weaner steers account DCF Marine weighed 260kg and sold for 818c/kg or $2130.
The same vendor sold two pens of steers including 48 at 299kg for 732c/kg and 36 at 342kg making 634c/kg.
The same vendor had a draft of weaner heifers with 24 at 301kg making 650c/kg or $1958 and 58 at 253kg making 700c/kg or $1771.
South Boorook sold a draft of black baldy steers with a pen of 25 at 310kg making 736c/kg or $2286.
A draft of light weaner steers account Montana Farms sold to 796c/kg or $1899 for a pen of 19 at 236kg. The heifer portion included 36 at 239kg made 670c/kg or $1607.
Eighteen steers account Welbourne weighed 395kg and made 646c/kg or $2557.
Otway Rider Holdings sold seven steers at 423kg for 610c/kg or $2583.
Bookadale forwarded a draft that included 37 steer weaners at 202kg that made 806c/kg or $1873.
A pen of 44 weaner heifers at 213kg made 748c/kg or $1593.
J & J Swain's consignment included 18 steer weaners at 417kg that made 605c/kg or $2525 and 12 at 469kg selling for 580c/kg or $2721.
Hilltop Farming sold 25 at 230kg for 790c/kg or $1821.
