Bidding for the opening pen of 175 Border Leicester-Merino ewes, May/June 07-drop and August-shorn with 280 Poll Dorset-sired lambs at foot, 12 weeks, started at $200 and immediately shot to $230.

Four bidders were active above $300 before they were eventually knocked down for $329 in a tidy return for vendors KP and EV Sait, Narrawillock near Charlton,

The pen was snapped up by Chris Nevins, FP Nevins and Co, Inglewood, for Roslyn Turner, Spring Hill.

Stock & Land market analyst Murray Arnel, who was at the sale, said the result was believed to be an Australian record for a pen of ewes and lambs.

The previous best at Wycheproof for a pen of ewes and lambs was $261.

“This sale went off like a firecracker – it sent a lot of people into a state of shock.”

But Mr Arnel said that to put the result into context, the lambs (160pc at foot) should be finished within six to eight weeks at which they’d return about $100. That priced the ewes at $180-$200, comparable to the $180-$194 paid for maiden ewes with 160pc lambs at foot in the sale.

Mr Arnel said prices at the top end were generally $8-$10 dearer than at Yarrawonga two weeks ago.

Prices for 1.5-year-old Border Leicester-Merino ewes topped at $194 for a pen of June/July 08-drop ewes bred by Neil and Jamie Simpson, Berriwillock.

Close behind at $192 was a pen of 124 ewes offered by Alec Hinkley, Brim East.

In other highlights a pen of Border Leicester-Merino ewes, 09-drop and shorn, made $144 for Ashley and Ros Gawne, Barraport north of Boort.

2007-drop ewes topped at $149 and a yard of four-year-old crossbred ewes made $138.

In the Merinos, prices topped at $133 for a pen of March-shorn ewes, Old Cobran-blood, offered by WJ Buchanan, Boort East.

* More details to come in the Stock & Land November 5 print edition.