Record breaking Tasmanian bull sells for $275,000 at Cluden Newry sale

Cluden Newry Angus stud has broken the record for the highest-priced Tasmanian Angus bull sold with a huge $275,000 sale top.

Lot 1, Cluden Newry Uppercut U15, was knocked down for the record price at the stud's on-property sale at Longford, Tas, on Tuesday.

The bull was bought by Lach McKenzie, McKenzie Ag, Buninyong, who just won out over Pathfinder Angus stud, Gazette, who were the underbidders.

The bull has been on the radar of the Angus industry from a young age, possessing what Cluden Newry stud principal Jock Hughes called "a near impeccable dataset".

"We knew he would go well but we certainly weren't expecting that price," Mr Hughes said.

"We were hoping he'd make around $100,000 based on the interest in him.

"In August last year, we started getting phone calls from people who had found the bull on the database and from there we sold some semen privately and then decided to contract the bull with Agri-Gene."

The bull sold with the existing semen marketing contract with Agri-Gene.

The contract with Agri-Gene entitles the purchaser to 50 per cent royalty on all semen sales after the date of the bull sale.

Cluden Newry retains the right to collect semen for in-herd use as well.

"I think it's the first time in Australia that a bull has sold with a semen contract in place so we didn't know how that would affect the sale," Mr Hughes said.

At 20-months-old, the bull had already sold over 3000 doses of semen prior to the sale, with interest from New Zealand and the US.

The rest of day was also a success as 84 per cent of the catalogue was cleared, with 52 of 62 Angus bulls sold for an average of $13,673.

Most of the bulls stayed within Tasmania, while three bulls sold into Victoria, including Lot 42 which was bought by Boonaroo Angus, Corndale.