Targeted purchases with "flair" were the order of the day at Palgrove's Window of Opportunity female sale on Friday.
The sale marked the second time in a decade Palgrove has offered female genetics and buyers seized the opportunity, tuning in from across Australia via AuctionsPlus, to bid.
Palgrove's Ben Noller said the decision to sell in such a fashion lined up with Australia's national herd rebuild.
"It timed up with the market and people rebuilding their herds, so we offered the opportunity for people to come in on the ground floor and see some of our breeding genetics and invest in their rebuild," Mr Noller said.
Topping the sale and the unjoined heifer section was Palgrove Flare R163E (P) R/F, a daughter of Palgrove Landmark (P) and out of Palgrove Flare H794E (P) R/F.
The 10-month-old homozygous polled heifer sold for $24,000 to Matthew and Ann-Marie Collins, Kenmere Charolais, Holbrook, NSW, via AuctionsPlus.
The red factor heifer's indexes all scored in the top 20 to 30 per cent for the Charolais breed, including an impressive milk score of 15, positioning her in the top 5pc, an intramuscular fat score of 0.4pc, and eye muscle area of 2.5 square centimetres.
Ann-Marie Collins said they had a targeted plan in mind when they visited Palgrove ahead of sale day.
"We went looking for EMA in some of the females. It is a trait not that strong in our females and we wanted to match what our bulls do to the females," she said.
"We've bought two lots of semen in from overseas this year and thought those cows would complement what we have."
The second-top price of the sale, and top price cow and calf lot, was Palgrove Nanette N469E (P), selling for $23,000.
The 2017-drop cow is the daughter of sire of influence, Silverstream Holster (P), and out of Palgrove Nanette G171E.
High positive growth, yield and milk EBVs saw her snapped up by Darren and Tracey Mellross, Torrie Lodge, Young, NSW.
Nanette was sold pregnancy tested in calf to Palgrove Maverick M456 and with bull calf Palgrove R758E (P) at foot.
Tracey Mellross said they were very pleased with their purchase, describing her as a beautiful cow and the bull calf as stunning.
"We bought a bull from Palgrove's last bull sale and we think our purchase is going to go beautifully over our bull," she said.
"We feel Palgrove stud cattle are some of the best cattle we've ever seen."
Ms Mellross' mother bred Charolais prior to her death and they have decided to continue on with the Palgrove line she was developing.
"We decided to continue what she didn't get a chance to finish. She wanted to keep the line and I can see why; Palgrove have got a very good setup and some absolutely stunning cattle."
The Mellross family were a volume buyer at the sale, taking home five lots. Milford Pastoral, Beaudesert, also took home five lots, while Yarrminga Cattle Co, North Tivoli, took home six.
Kenmore Charolais also took home the third-top price of the sale when they purchased cow and calf lot Palgrove Flare K680 E (P) for $21,000.
The medium-framed cow was sold with standout heifer calf Palgrove Flare R727E (P) at foot and was pregnancy tested in calf to Palgrove's 2020 top-priced sire, Palgrove Platinum (P) R/F, who sold for $48,000.
Sired by CSS Sir Gridmaker 2W (P) and out of Palgrove Flare G1328E, she scored in the top 10pc for the breed with an EMA of 2.6sq cm and in the top 20pc for scrotal size with a 1.6.
Topping the joined heifer section of the catalogue was Palgrove Clara P1585E (P) who sold for $16,000 to Jason and Sue Salier, Minnie-Vale Charolais, Narrabri, NSW.
The 2018-drop heifer's data was described as "curve bending", with a birth weight score of 0.4 and ranking in the top 1pc for 200-day weaning. She was pregnancy tested in calf to LT Vista, due in July.
Palgrove also offered two opportunities to pick from the donor pen and receive a flush and joining to the buyer's bull of choice.
Venturon Livestock, Western Australia, purchased a flush from Palgrove Clara D211E (P) R/F for $13,000 and the O'Neill family, Charters Towers, purchased a flush from Palgrove Digna G475E for $12,000.
Overall, 32 cow and calf lots were sold to average $12,125, joined heifers averaged $7382, and show prospect heifers averaged $7733.
Mr Noller said they were extremely happy with the sale average and the online bidding had been phenomenal.
- Selling agents: Elders and Nutrien