Ballarat's store sale started on a sombre note, with agents paying tribute to Mount Cameron farmer and Angus breeder Mac Fawcett.
His family gathered to watch the first pen of the day which had his 16 Angus grown steers, 736kg, sell for 230c/kg or $1700.
"This is in honour of our late father, grandfather, and great grandfather Mac Fawcett of Mount Cameron who passed away on the 13th of December, after a life of proudly growing Angus cattle in the area" his son John Fawcett said.
Mr Fawcett was a respected and committed volunteer in the Clunes community and surrounding area.
The sale had a late lift in cattle numbers once again was consigned to Ballarat's store sale on Friday, but prices generally continued an upward trend compared to the November sale.
Vendors wanted to take advantage of the quick turnaround in market prices, which boosted the yarding for the sale to 4400 cattle, which was 1400 more than the advertised price.
Steers did get a boost of about 20-50 cents a kilogram with those in the 330-400kg range, steers sold to 321c/kg to average 263c/kg, or $1160 and $959, while steers weighing 400-500kg made to 314c/kg and averaged 261c/kg, or $1450 and $1162.
Heavier steers between 500-600kg sold to 287c/kg and averaged 265c/kg or $1580 and $1430, while steers more than 600kg sold to 258c/kg and averaged 232c/kg or $1593 or $1593.
Elders Ballarat territory sales manager Declan Haines said the rise in the yarding had some mixed results but weaner steers which presented well attracted good prices.
"A large yarding which is in line with what is happening all over the country over the last three months or so," he said.
"We've had a fairly large rise in both those numbers and price in a quick time, so the market is holding up well considering the 4,500 cattle here.
Mr Haines said quality cattle, particularly in the weaner steer section had been sought after well and many pens attracted a lot of competition.
"A lot of those weaner steers were heading around the 280-300c/kg mark on some of those better quality lines," he said.
"It was a bit stickier market on the heifers at times, but all in all, compared to what we had for the last couple of months, it's looking more positive."
He said there were some mixed reasons as to why there have been some late boosts to yarding numbers in the region.
"It's drying up a bit in places but you're also probably seeing cattle being held over to wait for a better price coming particularly through those earlier September and October sales," he said.
"They are just looking at a bit of a price differentiation so I think there were some cattle held over for today."
Lighter heifer did well, also achieving price boosts of up to 50c/kg, but heavier cattle also seeing smaller increases in prices.
In that run, heifers weighing 200-280kg making to 240c/kg and averaging 252c/kg or $840 and $646, while heifers weighing 280-330kg sold to 327c/kg and averaged 261c/kg or $820 and $669.
Heifers weighing 330-400kg sold to 321c/kg and averaged 263c/kg or $1160 and $959, while heavier heifers weighing 400-500kg sold to 314c/kg and averaged 261c/kg or $1450 and $1162
A smaller run of cows and calves at the end of the sale had good competition from the galleries and averaged $1341, with one quality pen from Eddington Farms of 10 Angus cows and calves selling for $1940.
SJ Blackmore sold 12 Angus steers, 704kg, for 253c/kg or $1690.
Clarke/Madden sold 11 Angus steers, 550kg, for 285c/kg or $1570.
Lavender-Drake sold 19 Angus steers, 478kg, for 303c/kg or $1450.
Wolgan sold 12 Angus steers, 484kg, for 283c/kg or $1370.
Euambeen East sold 13 Angus steers, 423kg, for 297c/kg or $1260.
D Luelf & Sons sold 28 Angus steers, 539kg, for 247c/kg or $1550.
Ellingerrin sold 27 Angus steers, 480kg, for 297c/kg or $1430.
Yanika sold 24 Hereford steers, 474kg, for 280c/kg or $1330.
S & L Owen sold 19 Angus steers, 445kg for 308c/kg or $1300 and also sold 23 Angus heifers, 385kg for 231c/kg or $890.
VG & SM Richards sold 17 Angus steers, 383kg, for 302c/kg or $1160.
McKinnon Family Trust sold nine Angus heifers, 492kg, for 215c/kg or $1060.
Watgania Pastoral sold 23 Charolais heifers, 426kg, for 220c/kg or $940.
