Marnoo stud makes super Sohnic buy for $4600 at Ramsgate

But buyers were also gifted great value for money with 16 of the fine-medium wool rams knocked down at $700 or $800.

In the breakdown, stud principals Jed and Nicole, Craig and Heidi Keller sold 61 of 70, May/2017-drop rams with impressive Australian Sheep Breeding Values for a $1609 average, nearly mirroring the 2017 result.

 Another 13 rams sold for a $719 average in the mini auction.

The sale kicked off strongly with spirited bidding in the first row of pens, including Lot 9, an upstanding son of Gunallo Bond 007, which made the $4600 top price.

The 17.3 micron ram sold to Sohnic Merino stud, Marnoo, Vic.

Sohnic stud principal Greg Hose and agent Elders St Arnaud’s Glendon Hancock were impressed by the 100.5 kilogram ram’s outstanding wool quality, structure and square carcase after seeing it at Hamilton Sheepvention.

“Its fibre is as good as it gets –  it has got great density with all the qualities,” Mr Hancock said.

Its other wool tests included a 2.8 standard deviation,  16.0pc coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.

Eighteen of the nineteen registered bidders from the Upper and Lower South East, Fleurieu Peninsula and western NSW, were successful by sale’s end.

They were a mix of loyal Ramsgate clients and some new faces.

Elders district wool manager Steph Brooker-Jones and Keilira Station manager, Jason Holloway, Keilira, were a major part of the sale’s success securing 13 rams in the main auction for a $908 average, plus another five in the mini auction.

Other major buyers included Scott Davidson, M&H Davidson, Lucindale, who bought six rams to $2900 for a $2333 average and Chris and Andrew Johnson, Mount Boothby Pastoral, Tintinara, with five rams to $2900 averaging $2140.

Elders Keith’s Dean Coddington, who shared the auctioneering duties with branch manager Steven Doecke, said the rams were a credit to the vendors.

“The quality, and structure and everything about the sheep are getting better and better every year,” he said.

Murray Bridge based classer Bill Walker also praised the evolution of the Ramsgate stud in his pre-sale speech.

“The flock 15 years ago was fairly bland to now being a stud going places with bold crimp,silkiness and freeness with staple length,” he said.

Jed Keller said it was their most consistent offering, displaying the easy care, dual-purpose traits with fertility they were aiming for.

“Everyone should have gone away with the quality that they were looking for,” Craig Keller said.

“The top end was really good but buyers were still able to buy good quality rams at the $700 mark.”

Ramsgate also has three rams reserved for the Classings Classic sale at Murray Bridge on September 3.