THE Gale family's recent Galaxy Park Monarto White Suffolk sale at Murray Bridge rebounded from last year's somewhat disappointing result to a near-total clearance and a $96 rise in the sale average.
All but one of the 89 rams catalogued sold to $2100 averaging $809, still outstanding value considering the quality on offer, but a much better reward for the breeding costs and time put in by the Gales.
The 14 to 16-month-old rams were in magnificent order, from the start of the 10 specially selected rams to the very last lot. Renowned for their high performance, the rams also rated exceptionally well on performance with the very last ram sold 14 points above average on Carcase Plus index.
The Gales reward clients who report on their sale successes of progeny of Galaxy Park rams, by giving a ram to the client who reports the highest sucker price in the previous 12 months. This year that honour went to Neil and Eric Harvey, Strathalbyn. Ironically they had a line of 171 sucker lambs from their Merino ewes selected to go to Woolworths in April and 41 were graded as too heavy, having grown so quickly, so they were consigned to Dublin market. Woolworths paid $130 a head for the 130 they selected. The 41 that went to Dublin made $165.
The Harveys selected lot 42 as their free ram, this being withdrawn from the offering, but they then bought two others at $1200 and $1000.
Galaxy Park 130162, a twin to a ram retained by Galaxy Park in its stud breeding program, was catalogued at lot one. This was the sale's top-price lot at $2100, going to Superior Selections for an undisclosed client. With figures of 14.74 for post-weaning weight, 0.3 for fat, a massive +2.62 for eye muscle and a Carcase Plus index of 202.2, this ram was one of only eight to make $1000 or better, emphasising the value.
Robinville Pty Ltd, through Elders Murray Bridge, paid $1500 and $1700 for its two choices, both with indices for Carcase Plus above 190.
Two buyers in particular made the most of the quality-at-value on offer to be the equal-highest volume buyers, selecting 10 rams each.
Craig Paech, Tepko, for CA Paech and K Molnar, paid $700-$800, averaging $760.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 2, 2014 issue.
