Francs Angus stud sells top bull to Merridale stud in spring sale

The family sold 21 of 24 bulls to a top price of $14,500 to average $8190, and sold another two bulls moments after the final hammer fell.

Francs Angus stud principal Nick Franc said the sale attracted a gallery of return clients, as well as a handful of first-time buyers.

"It was a good, solid sale with a lot of local interest," he said.

"I like to breed phenotypically-correct bulls that are true to the Angus type with a strong back third and the relevant meat-eating qualities everyone knows them to have."

The stud's bloodlines date back to Mr Franc's grandfather's stud, Jinamoc, which was established on the same property in the 1950s, and later run by his parents before he and his partner, Faye Clark, took it on.

The top-priced bull, Lot 4, was sired by Sterling Pacific and bought by Merridale Angus, Tennyson.

"He was a really correct bull, with a quiet nature and good feet," Mr Franc said.

"He also had an impressive dataset too with all of his growth rates in the top 10 per cent, his claw set was in the top 1pc and docility was in the top 4pc."

Merridale Angus stud principal Peter Collins said he was alerted to the bull by agent Nick Farley from Nutrien Stud Stock.

"I looked at his pedigree and a video of him and he looked exceptionally well so I asked the Nutrien team to buy the bull at a set price and ultimately we secured him," Mr Collins said.

"We will use him as a back-up bull to our AI program and put him in with some heifers."

Alpha Pastoral, Stoneleigh, bought four bulls to a top price of $10,000.

"They've only just got back into cattle after buying a heap of cows and calves off AuctionsPlus," Mr Franc said.

First-time buyer Elwood Pastoral, Horsham, bought three bulls with an average of $6500.