"Quality offerings will always demand a premium," he said at the conclusion of the sale conducted by Elders, Tumut and Gundagai when restockers from the eastern Riverina and north-east Victoria competed strongly with feedlot interests.

"Yarding cattle like these here today doesn't make it hard to sell them."

Values for steers 300kg to 400kg ranged from $1670 (305kg) to $$1900 (386kg) while those above 400kg sold from $1920 (417kg) to $1980 (495kg).

Steers seven to nine months and under 300kg sold from $1480 (215kg) to $1730 (297kg).

In the heifer pens, those in the 300kg to 400kg range sold from $1725 (307kg) to $1785 (366kg) while those over 400kg sold to $1950 (436kg).

Some steer sales included 17 Charolais/Composite weighing 495kg and 14 to 15 months sold for $1980 on account W Skein, Tumut; IT and I Gardiner, Adelong, sold 22 Kennys Creek-blood Angus, weighing 432kg and 10 to 12 months for $1945 and D and T McMahon, Adelong, sold 29 Arden-blood Angus weighing 386kg and nine to ten months for $1900.

Moonthallie Shorthorns, Tumut, sold 21 Shorthorn/Angus cross steers weighing 335kg for $1700: Yaven Pastoral Co, Adelong, sold 20 black baldies, eight to nine months, weighing 325kg for $1770 and TZR Holdings, Wallendbeen, received $1885 for their 25 Onslow-blood Angus steers weighing 360kg.

Steer sales under 300kg included eight Angus, 297kg sold on account J and K Hayes, Adelong, for $1730 and AC Kell, Tumut, sold 25 Angus, eight-nine months, 292kg for $1705..

Heifer sales included 22 Angus weighing 436kg and 20 months sold by Shore Pastoral Co, Adelong, for $1905 and 10 Reiland-blood Angus weighing 452kg sold by Brungle Angus, Brungle, for $1890.

PTIC female sales included 19 Bongongo-blood Angus weighing 690kg sold by RT and JC Jones, Gundagai, for $2550, while DJ Graham Trust, Adjungbilly, sold 15 23-month Angus cows with calves for $4000.

Pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows sold for $3050 when Jamichanex Pty Ltd, Coolac, offered 16 Angus in calf to low-birthweight Bongongo-blood Angus bulls, while S and A Glynn, Batlow, received $3900 for their pen of 11 PTIC Crawfords-blood Angus cows with calves.

The seven to nine year cows weighed 660kg while the calves averaged 285kg.

Cows with calves topped at $4400 when Kerry Kell, Tumut, offered nine Angus, two and half years with black baldy calves and weighing 544kg, while QPL, Temora, director Craig Pellow purchased 22 Hazeldean-blood Angus cows with Dunoon-blood Angus calves for $4300 on behalf of the Gilmore family, Tattykeel, Oberon.

"I thought they were the best presented females at the sale," Mr Pellow said.

"The Gilmore family are engaged in a major donor program and these cows will be used as recipient dams and kept for a long time."

Another who purchased breeders was Mick Grogan, South Wangaratta, Victoria who attended the sale with Peter Wallis, Elders, Albury.

The cows were bought to replace some older females but Mr Grogan is also slowly increasing breeder numbers and anticipates retaining the tops of the heifer calves.

Mr Grogan paid $3900 for 11 Hazeldean/Rennylea-blood Angus cows, five - six years and Irelands-blood Angus calves and he thought them 'dear enough' on the day.

"I was looking for some well bred Angus and they are big framed cows with good calves and it is not easy to buy breeders of this quality at the moment," he said.

Successful buyers form Wagga Wagga, Oberon, Gundagai and Tumut competed with determined feedlot interests.