FIRST-cross ewe prices were down by $15-20 at Ballarat today, despite a saleyard record of $213 for one-and-a-half-year-old Border Leicester-Merino ewes.

Ballarat's feature January sale which attracted a very large yarding of of 24,500 head, also attracted a large gallery of buyers.

The sale opened strongly with five of the first eight pens topping $200.

"Once the Gippslanders were finished prices came off the boil" said TB White and Sons auctioneer Gerald White.

Mr White said prices for the second runs of 1.5-year-olds and secondary ewes were $15-20 down on Ballarat's December sale.

The bulk of the 2008-drop ewes sold from $100-150.

Colin Smith from Carranballac, who topped this sale last year at $162, topped the sale again with a Ballarat saleyard record of $213 for 200 June-July 2008-drop ewes from Stavely Park Merinos.

Many vendors of the ewe lambs were disappointed with their prices, but Mr White said he thought the lambs sold at rates equal to the December sale.

George Kirkpatrick from Beaufort topped the ewe lambs at $161 for a pen of 120 July-August drop, December shorn lambs by Superborder rams.

Joinable ewe lambs sold upwards of $100.

Lighter lambs sold from $80-$110