Averages: Wiltor and Sahara herds – 43 cows and calved heifers, £ 8226.63 (incl. 43 calves @ £2993.72); 12 served heifers, £4786.25; 23 recently served and maiden heifers, £ 3478.70; seven bulls, £1965.00. Overall, 85 lots, £5940.52. Logan herd – 16 head, £ 3366.56. Jones – Three calves, £3815.00

Prices peaked at a mind-blowing 43,000gns for one of the best bred females to come to the market in recent years at the virtual dispersal of the Wiltor and Sahara Holstein herds, which included guest consignments from the Jones herd and the Scottish Logan and Eastford units.

The on-farm sale from David and Claire Jones of the Wiltor and Sahara herds based at Church Farm, Magor, Monmouthshire, on Tuesday, not only saw a cracking trade for the top end of cattle, such was the strength and depth of pedigrees throughout, that no fewer than 21 lots sold at or above the 5000gns mark with a further 13 selling for 4000gns or more.

Sale leader was the young cow, Wiltor Silver Centerpiece VG-89, a grand-daughter of the celebrated Larcrest Crimson Ex94-2E GMD DOM 3* that was the 2016 International Global Holstein Cow of the Year and therefore one of the most popular families worldwide. From a kick-off bid of 5000gns, this second calver bred from seven generations of EX or VG cows, sailed past the 20,000gns mark – a figure at which several breeders had hoped to secure her.

From then on it developed into a straight fight between Southern Irish interests and Nick and Louise Sercombe of the Shambles herd in Leicestershire, with the latter being the final bidders at 43,000gns – the highest price paid for a milking female in the UK for some years.

A daughter of Seagull-Bay Silver, Silver Centrepiece gave just shy of 10,200kg in her first lactation at 4.49%BF and 3.44%P, and since calving on Christmas day has produced 3892kg. Maternal sister to the $62,000 Larcrest Cinergy ET sold at the Parade of Perfection Sale in 2011 and to the $82,000Larcrest Case ET sold in 2010 at the National Convention Sale, this August 2015-born cow classified Ex-MS, changed hands AI'd to Duckett Crush Tatoo.

Notably, her full sister, the 88 pointed Wiltor Silver Cosmopolitan, made 11,500gns selling to Oliver Williams of the Rosehip herd in Cambridgeshire. She had nine daughters in the sale by Bacon-Hill Pety Modesty which averaged in excess of £4000, with the dearest at 7000gns, Wiltor Modesty Cosmopolitan 6 ET, a 16-month-old heifer, purchased by local breeders AJ and LA Duthie for their Langfordale herd.

Scottish breeders, Caroline Lawrie and Sheila Yates of Eastford Holsteins, also forked out the cash, buying the second top priced lot at 15,000gns. The duo based at Sandyford, Monkton, Ayrshire and East Logan, Castle Douglas, respectively, went to this money for the two-year-old red heifer, Rockset Integral Rae Red, which was bought last year at Robert Hugo's dispersal sale and is due to calve down to Cycle McGucci Jordy Red. Bred from 12 successive generations of VG or EX cows, she goes back to the world famous Hanoverhill Tony Rae Ex-96-3E GMD Doom 5* and Hanoverhill TT Roxette Ex94-2E GMD DOM, with her dam being the Ex90 Rockset Artie Rae RE SP.

Also heading up to Ayrshire with the Lawries – Gilmour and Caroline and son Kevin – went to 8000gns for Wiltor Impression Atlee, a three-month-old heifer calf for their Arranview herd. Another with a first class pedigree behind her, this baby by Monument Impression is out of the 3300gns show cow, Wyndford Doorman Atlee 2ET VG89-2yr, that was All Britain Junior Heifer in Milk, 2018 and inter-breed champion heifer at the Royal Welsh.

On the other side of the coin, the guest consignment from the Logan herd of Brian and Sheila Yates and son Michael and his wife Emma, who incidentally is David and Claire Jones' daughter, enjoyed a solid trade for both milkers and young stock, which peaked at 4000gns for a De-Su Syracuse calf from the Sweet family purchased by Bryan O Connor, Kanturk, Co Cork.

Next highest disclosed price was 8300gns paid by Rob Kirk of the Leedham herd from Leicestershire, for Wiltor Integral Jodie Red VG89, a second calver that was nominated All Britain Junior Heifer in 2016. Another by Blondin Integral, she is bred from the show winning Sterndale Talent Jodie Red VG87 that made 10,000gns at the Global Classic Sale in 2012 and then was resold at the Newabbey dispersal in 2014 for 14,000gns.

She was paired with the rising six-year-old red cow, Wiltor Chipper Rosie Polled REd ET Ex94-2, another top show cow that was last year's inter-breed champion at UK Dairy day and All Britain Red and White champion in 2017 and 2018, to name but a few. She is by Sandy-Valley Chipper, out of Hollysprings Mighty Lawrae Polled Red and made 6200gns selling to Alan Paul of the Slatabogie herd in Northern Ireland.

Two other lots made 8000gns to include Wiltor Labron Mani ET, a VG87 second calver by Ladys-Manor Graf La-Bron, out of Morningview Mogul Mani ET VG86 DOM. Bred from 13 successive generations of VG or Ex dams, Mani sold due to Our-Favourite Undenied sexed, to N and R Roberts, Dulais.

High index entries were also in demand with one the UK’s current top 10 genomic index calves, Sahara Outback Jamaica selling for 8000gns to Crossfell House Farm Ltd, Cumbria. This two-month-old heifer which boasts a PLI of +£747, is out of the GP80-2yr Sahara Hurricane Jamaica which in turn sports a GPLI of +£646, and sired by ABS Outback.

Next at 7500gns, WS Richards, Larks, bought Wiltor Atwood Zandra, a seven-month-old heifer by Maple-Downs IG W Atwood bred from the Ex92-2 Woodmarsh Jordan Zandra 4 that sold for 5600gns at the Northern Lights sale in 2012.

Professional fitter, Gary Jones' Jones guest consignment hit a top of 6500gns paid for Knowlesmere Jones Oct Poppi ET, an eight-month-old heifer bred from the Ex-95-2E T-Triple-TI Durham Poppi and sired by Stantons High Octane. She also sold across the Irish Sea with H Patton and Sons, Ards, Northern Ireland.

OTHERLEADING prices:

7400gns – Wiltor Magictouch Moviemax, 10-month-old bred from Wiltor Penmanship Moviemax ET, to RT Halhead and Son, Norbreck.

6700gns – Wiltor Labron Mae ET VG87, second calver bred from Morningview Mogul Mani ET VG86 DOM, to B and L Whitfield and Son, Alderbarrow.

6300gns – Wiltor Denver Mae, three-month-old bred from Wiltor Labron Mae ET VG87, to FH Chave and Son, Peacehay.

6000gns – Showgirl SC Sara Ex93-2 with three Grade A embryos, fifth calver bred from Sahara Goldwyn Sara 2 Ex94-4, to G and AE Smith and Sons, Alandrew.

5800gns – Wiltor Diamondback Rosie Red, five-month-old bred from Wiltor Chipper Rosie Polled Red ET Ex94-2, to Willow Holsteins, Willow.

Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank.