The more positive seasonal outlook and continued strength of the southern beef industry helped deliver a clearance of 39 of 42 bulls at Monday’s auction, a top price of $8500 achieved twice and an average of $4708.

Confident in their product, Claremont principals Graeme and Liz Glasgow took the gamble this year to bring their sale two weeks forward and also look at online marketing, and it has paid dividends. 

Last year’s sale was tough work, and resulted in a 48 per cent clearance with most of the bulls sold in later weeks after genuine autumn rain fell.

This year the sale opened strongly with Lot 1 Claremont Blacks L555 reaching $8500. The 23 month-old bull was a Timeless son with the maternal backing of Claremont Ceres, and it took the fancy of repeat top-price buyers Ryan Pastoral, Hawkesdale. 

The bull was the heaviest on offer and weighed 860 kilograms and carried figures for eye muscle area at +4.2 square centimetres, 200-day weight at +59kg, retail beef yield at +0.6 per cent and carcase weight at +79kg and scrotal size of 44cm.

Lot 9 also reached $8500, sired by Jindra Double Vision out of Claremont Blacks Dianna cow, the 766kg bull was purchased by BP & ME Smith, Yambuk.

Boonaroo Angus at Casterton also gained a great result with its auction on Friday. It achieved its highest price of $17,000 and increased its sale average by more than $2800 to $9148

Stud co-principal Jodie Foster said an outstanding season, increased retention of females across the country and the most even line of bulls ever offered at Boonaroo contributed to the pleasing outcome.

Ms Foster said other positives that helped the outcome  were the recognition Boonaroo genetics received by winning the Victorian Beef Week RASV Heifer Challenge in 2016, and being judged the winner last week of the 2017 South Australian Beef Week ANZ Heifer Challenge. 

Boonaroo GPS J6 L57 topped the sale at $17,000, bought by new clients CR & LM Priest, through McGrath Rodwells Kyneton. 

The 865kg, 18-month-old L57 had good temperament and structure and trait leading estimated breeding values (EBVs) for growth.

It had a rare combination of figures of top end growth with moderate calving ease.

Top-priced L57 is in the top one per cent of the Angus breed for all growth traits (+63kg for 200-day weight, +118kg for 400-day and a whopping +155kg for 600-day), top 10pc for days to calving and top 15pc for gestation length.