Light-weight steer calves made close to 800 cents a kilogram at Wangaratta's cattle sale on Friday despite some agents reporting a market correction.
About 960 cattle were yarded at the monthly sale where a majority of the yarding was bought by restockers within a 50 kilometre radius of the yards.
Corcoran Parker director Justin Keane said well-bred beef steers between 200-250kg were the most sought-after class of cattle, while secondary types lacking condition sold to softer rates.
"We also had competition from buyers at Wagga Wagga (NSW) and Finley (NSW) who were buying cattle to background for feedlots for the winter markets," he said.
"At this time of the year it's expected that you do get second or third drafts in the yards, however, lighter steers sold to 800c/kg for the lightest pens and heifers were making similar money to steers."
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AWN Wangaratta branch manager Peter Dargan said the sale lacked the zest previous markets experienced.
"I thought the steers lost a bit of their bunch from the extreme prices they've been making," he said.
"All classes of steers were definitely back, perhaps $100-$150, while the heifers sold better than the steers."
Mr Dargan said one reason the sale lacked the intensity of previous markets was due to the absence of any volume buyers.
"Most of the cattle were bought by clients within 50km of the yards," he said.
"If you draw from Euroa and Mansfield and then up north to Albury, NSW, and Wodonga and towards Shepparton, that was where they went.
"There was no one there to buy half the yard and I think that was a leading factor for the correction."
In the steers, J Tapsell sold 14 Angus steers, 277kg, for $1710 or 788c/kg.
Onalim Nominees sold 22 Angus steers, 265kg, for $1980 or 747c/kg.
Carrungi Pastoral sold 19 Limousin steers, 294kg, for $2160 or 734c/kg.
JH & TM Parton sold nine Angus steers, 302kg, for $2070 or 685c/kg and eight Angus heifers, 286kg, for $1700 or 594c/kg.
A & A McLean sold 15 Angus steers, 370kg, for $2390 or 645c/kg.
R & R Stamp sold 16 Limousin-cross steers, 304kg, for $1950 or 641c/kg.
In the heifers, A & D McMillan sold 14 Angus heifers, 303kg, for $1810 or 597c/kg.
J & L Northey sold 11 Black Baldy heifers, 321kg, for $1900 or 591c/kg.
J & J Peters sold eight Angus heifers, 330kg, for $1810 or 581c/kg.
MH & ME Hill sold five Limousin-cross heifers, 367kg, for $2070 or 564c/kg.
J Fraser sold four Angus heifers, 342kg, for $1900 or 555c/kg.
In the cows and calves, Brumby Hills sold four Angus cows with calves at foot for $4200 and five Angus cows with calves at foot for $3960.
Grothers Bros sold eight Angus cows with calves at foot for $3540, while D Grady sold four Angus cows with calves at foot for $3475.