When racehorse trainers with breeding interests want to send their broodmares to a stallion with limited commercial exposure, it’s a safe assumption that something is happening that the rest of the racing world might not know about.

Sandbar
Sandbar and his first-crop son Shaggy have both won their first two starts as a two-year-old. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

At least that is what Kooringal Stud’s Angus Lamont is hoping ahead of Shaggy bringing an unblemished record to Sydney in the Pierro Plate at Randwick on Saturday.

Shaggy’s sire Sandbar is the newest of five stallions residing at Kooringal, a 3000-acre property that has stood the test of time as a blue-collar breeding operation.

Kooringal is situated in prime farming country near Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina region but Lamont says it is just as good for raising young racehorses and allowing them to grow out.

In the past year, graduates to leave their mark on racetrack include the 2024 Group 1 Surround Stakes winner Tropical Squall and Country Championships heroine Asgarda.

But the emergence of Shaggy - off the back of victories at Coffs Harbour and the Sunshine Coast - has the potential to flip Kooringal’s commercial approach to breeding and racing.

Lamont has always preferred to give his horses all the time they needed but with Sandbar’s progeny waiting around hasn’t been an issue. They are in a hurry.

“I have never been that keen on pushing any two-year-olds. I've never done it in the past,” Lamont told The Straight.

“I’ve always preferred to see them set in the joints to have a racehorse that's racing on as six, seven and eight-year-olds.

“But the more I hear about Sandbar’s progeny the more they seem to be just naturally ready to go.”

Sandbar
Sandbar served 41 mares in 2024. (Photo: Kooingal Stud)

Shaggy has been Sandbar’s only runner from a first-season crop after covering 60 mares at an $8800 advertised service fee.

But Lamont is assured there are others on the way based on the feedback he is receiving from trainers dotted around the country.

“From a small crop of mares just on the farm, it's pretty exciting,” he said.

It’s a major reason why Lamont, who races Shaggy on a lease arrangement with trainer Allan Kehoe, is ignoring the temptation of Hong Kong offers.

Lamont figures Sandbar, a stakes-winning son of Snitzel who raced against the cream of his year, will have his immediate future as a stallion best served if Shaggy stays in Australia.

“The offers keep coming for him. They're substantial, don't worry,” Lamont said.

“But at this stage there's probably more value for me in the long run for him to be racing in Australia with the ability that we think that he might have.

“It would probably be six months down the track by the time he's up and going over there in Hong Kong and a lot can happen with horses any day.

“So we may as well have him racing here where it is a bit better advertising for the stallion.”

“The offers keep coming for him. They're substantial, don't worry." - Angus Lamont on Shaggy

Sandbar, a three-quarter brother to the 2020 Golden Slipper hero Farnan, retired to Kooringal as the winner of four races.

Himself a Golden Slipper runner in 2018, Sandbar returned as a three-year-old to claim the Listed Rosebud before finishing fourth in the Golden Rose.

That edition of the Group 1 race was won by Arrowfield Stud resident The Autumn Sun and also included current active stallions Zousain (second), Graff (third), Lean Mean Machine (fifth) and Santos (sixth).

“He was always up in that top level against some really good horses … and he just had a really good constitution,” Lamont said.

“He's not a big horse, but neither is Snitzel.”

Shaggy, who has emulated his sire in winning his first two races, was withdrawn from last year’s Inglis Classic Sale with a minor and what proved temporary scope imperfection.

Kehoe also trains two older siblings, including city-winning mare Moonlight Grace, and he was a willing buyer at the auction before coming to a post-sale arrangement with Lamont.

“And with the negotiations between Allan and ourselves (the Hong Kong offer) is obviously not as lucrative as if we owned him 100 per cent ourselves,” Lamont said.

“Besides, Allan was the one that was willing to take the risk … he's done the right thing by us, and we're trying to do the right thing by him.”

Shaggy's half sister by Exceedance was purchased by Lees Racing and Bahen Bloodstock for $60,000 at this week's Inglis Classic Sale.

Kooringal Stud
The Lamont family's Kooringal Stud near Wagga. (Photo: Kooringal Stud)

Sandbar served 40 mares last year, his fourth at stud, taking his tally to 175, but 2025 shapes as his busiest season seven months out from September 1.

“He hasn't got the numbers that a lot of these big farms have got, but the reports from trainers are exciting,” Lamont said.

“I’ve had a lot of trainers calling me, trying to get a hold of others and I’ve had a heads-up from a few trainers with his two-year-olds who want to send mares to him this year.

“So I'm excited to see a few more of them step out and he'll certainly get a lot better support next season.”

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