Wodonga whiteface hit $40k high, $1m gross

The strong upward surge of the cattle market, and good season in some Hereford stronghold areas including Vic's Gippsland, produced a packed gallery of 171 registered bidders.

In a 93 per cent clearance, 132 of 142 bulls from SA, Vic, NSW, and Tas vendors sold to five states for a $7587 average.

Thirty-one bulls made $10,000 or more with Yarrandabbie Jingle J018 offered by Andrew and Leanne Green, Uranquinty, NSW, claiming the top spot at $40,000.

The 19-month-old AI son of NZ sire Matariki Holy Smoke was bought by new Herefords Australia Limited chairman Pat Pearce and family, YavenVale stud, Adelong, NSW.

The 862-kilogram poll bull was a frame score eight with an eye muscle area of 122 square centimetres and 19 millimetres and 10mm rump and rib fat.

Lachy and Lou Day, Days Whiteface, Bordertown, sparked a bidding frenzy, their six bulls averaging an impressive $14,167.

Five of their six bulls made $10,000 or more including the sale's $30,000 second-top-price bull Days Carbine J141.

He was reserve grand champion bull and one of the first sons sold by the $90,000 record-price bull Days Calibre G74, which the stud had used as a yearling before selling at the 2013 Dubbo National Show & Sale, NSW.

Carbine was the highest intramuscular fat-figured bull in the catalogue at +1.4.

At 828kg, his EBV figures included +5 for EMA and +1.8 and +2.5 for rib and rump fat.

He was bought by Antony Baillieu, Yarram Park stud, Willaura, Vic, who had flown in the previous day from Britain and relied on the judgement of one of his clients Joyce McConnell, Emu Park Pastoral, Deniliquin, NSW, to pick the new stud sire.

Mrs McConnell said Carbine was structurally correct and had softness and good pigment.

He was the first homozygous poll bull Yarram Park had bought in many years and Mr Baillieu said they were looking for a low birthweight heifer bull with growth figures.

"We also wanted to buy from a proven stud and they (Days) are one of the studs breeding really good bulls consistently," Mr Baillieu said.

Repeat Days client Paul Sykes, Karoonda stud, Gelantipy, Vic, and his agent David Phelan, Yarram, Vic, outlaid $13,000 for Days Elaborate J59.

"We haven't been breeding Pollies for long but liked his thickness and balance," Mr Sykes said.

As Days Whiteface stud's junior champion bull, he made $12,000 to Barry and Lyn and Mathew and Kath Peel, Yukon Park and Tumulla Herefords, Tarcutta, NSW, while the Days' senior champion was one of the buys of the day, knocked down at $8000 to Ros Teschke and son John, Josslyn Poll Herefords, Delegate, NSW.

Mr Day said it was a fantastic result.

"It was very pleasing to do well in the judging ring and get the positive comments from the judge and then have it backed up the next day by the buyers," he said.

"We had great support again with bulls going from Charleville in Qld to Vic and it was good to see one go into a big commercial Angus herd."

Grand champion Poll Hereford bull Ivy Bank John J10 was the only bull to head to SA, bought by the Honner family, Minlacowie Poll Hereford stud, Brentwood, in partnership with Mark and Jade Scown, Markowen Poll Hereford stud, Bordertown.

The SA duo paid $16,000 for the thick-set son of Yalgoo Burgher E102.

"He is very hard to fault for his overall sire package but particularly his volume and capacity," Mr Scown said.

The sale's volume buyer was Coorabil Pastoral Co, Coleraine, Vic, with six bulls early in the catalogue at $3000 each.

Yaven Pastoral, Adelong, NSW, bought three bulls to $5000.

Sale committee chairman Paul Rogers said the strong gross of more than $1m was underpinned by commercial support.

"It was an extremely good sale with the average up nearly $800 and an extra 12 bulls sold on the previous year," he said.

"It is typical of where the beef industry is headed. It is on a real high with people cashed-up after the recent weaner sales where there have been some excellent prices achieved for Herefords," he said.

"A lot are cashing in their old bulls for good money and buying new genetics."