Cover image courtesy of Kooringal Stud
Kooringal Stud have announced their fees for the 2026 season with three stallions on the books. Both Sandbar and Finance Tycoon have had a reduction to reflect the market conditions, while The Brothers War (USA) stays at the same fee.
Business at a middle of the market farm like Kooringal Stud is tough and stud master Angus Lamont said they are definitely seeing the pinch of the shrinking number of small breeders across the industry. The historic farm has been breeding racehorses since 1910.
“It's going to be very tough. That’s why there's been a hesitation (by Kooringal Stud) to put on a new stallion this year. The right sort of horses didn’t present themselves. I looked a few different options but the timing wasn’t quite right with one or two of them,” said Lamont.
Angus Lamont | Image courtesy of Murrumbidgee Turf Club
“It's going to be very hard to attract outside mares to our location. And there's just less and less breeders about. It's becoming so much more commercialised. The big farms have got a heap of mares, but there’s less and less individuals. Just look at the foal crops and the drop that’s being predicted for this year, and the results from last year.”
The 2025 foal crop was 11,265, while the 2025 coverings for the 2026 foals have yet to been released. It’s a drop of over 2000 from the 2022 figures of 13,340 foals born.
“It's becoming really commercialised and it's a real shame to see. It's gone the same way that England has. Prizemoney is still reasonable (for the breed to race owner), but your costs are just extraordinary.”
“It's becoming really commercialised and it's a real shame to see. It's gone the same way that England has.” - Angus Lamont
| Sandbar | $11,000 | $13,200 | Snitzel | Kooringal Stud |
| Finance Tycoon | $8,800 | $11,000 | Written Tycoon | Kooringal Stud |
| The Brothers War (USA) | $6,600 | $6,600 | War Front (USA) | Kooringal Stud |
Sandbar produces good types
Second season sire Sandbar is emerging from the tag of being Farnan’s half-brother to fashion a good record. His first crop caught the eye with Shaggy who won three races, including two in the city, and this season, he has another strong juvenile with Bar Jester who has greeted the judge and ran fourth in the G3 Black Opal Stakes. Dusty Bay, a winner at two, ran fourth in the G2 Callander-Presnell Stakes this autumn at three.
“Farnan's obviously leading the second season sire table. Sandbar just never got the opportunity and unfortunately for him, I took on two new stallions in his second season, so he just hasn't got the runners out there,” Lamont said.
Sandbar | Standing at Kooringal Stud
Sandbar began his career at $8800 and had a boost to $13,200 for last season where he covered his biggest book at 69 mares. He drops back a touch to $11,000 including GST for 2026.
“He got his best book mares last year. He would have covered close to 70 mares last year. They are fantastic types, and I'm really impressed by a few of them. I was running them into the yards this morning for a trim and they’re just lovely athletic horses who try hard and have got a brain about them.
“They just make the job so much easier. I'm thrilled that I've got so many foals coming through by him because next year's weanling handling is going to be a lot easier. The trainers that have got them love them. And they're looking for more. It's just a shame that we're not going to see the best of him for another couple of years, with the lack of stock about.
Shaggy | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“Shaggy came out firing and Dusty Bay has run a couple of fourths in group races in the autumn. We’ve got a couple of nice 2-year-olds that are about to resume. They don’t love the wet tracks, so he's going to have a bit of a lull probably throughout the winter.”
The son of Snitzel has covered modest sized books compared to his G1 Golden Slipper winning half-brother. Sandbar was no slouch as a racehorse either, winning the Listed Lonhro Plate at two, Listed Rosebud Handicap at three, and training on to win again at four. He also ran fourth in the G1 Golden Rose behind The Autumn Sun, Zousain, and Graff. Decent field, that one!
Farnan, who retired in the same season as Sandbar at a fee of $55,000 including GST, is currently in a fierce battle for second season sire honours with Bivouac, Ghaiyyath (Ire) and Wootton Bassett (GB). He covered 132 more mares than Sandbar did in the same season. The pair are out of G3 Vanity Stakes winner Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}).
Farnan | Standing at Vinery Stud
Finance Tycoon adjusting to new surrounds
A precocious son of Written Tycoon, Finance Tycoon won the G3 Maribyrnong Plate, the Showdown and the Gold Nugget at two, as well as running fourth in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes. At three, he trained on to add the G3 Zeditave Stakes. His oldest crop of 31 foals are 2-year-olds. He will stand at $8,800 including GST in 2026.
“Finance Tycoon has only had 2 starters so far. He stood his first season down in Victoria, and a few mares in foal to him came with him. We’re just waiting to see what they can do. There’s some promising reports about them. I was very happy with the results that I got at the yearling sales this year. They all went to good homes, pretty much all to metropolitan trainers,” Lamont said.
Finance Tycoon | Standing at Kooringal Stud
There’s an interesting parallel to his own sire Written Tycoon who was shuffled between several different studs during his career.
“His owners are in Hong Kong and they wanted to move up here. It was a shame that we didn’t get a crack at him for his first season, but I'm still confident in his progeny to put a few mares to him this year because of the types he's getting.
“He's got the blood lines there, and he's from a beautiful female family. He’s a big strong horse. Just on bloodlines and type, you can work out what you might want to send him and I've had some really nice types by him in the last year or two.”
“He's (Finance Tycoon) got the blood lines there, and he's from a beautiful female family. He’s a big strong horse.” - Angus Lamont
Written Tycoon is rapidly making a name as a sire of sires thanks to Capitalist and Ole Kirk, as well as consistent cheaper stallions like Rich Enuff, Written By and Dirty Work.
Finance Tycoon is out of winning Darci Brahma (NZ) mare Darook Park, who is from the family of G2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes winner Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}) and G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic winner Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt) who placed in the G1 Coolmore Classic. Another family member is Listed winner Café Millennium (Not A Single Doubt) who placed in the G1 Randwick Guineas.
The Brothers War doing well from small numbers
Proven sire The Brothers War (USA) continues to do well with limited opportunities. He’s currently running at over 65% winners to runners and has two stakes winners from only 86 runners. The Brothers War will remain on $6,600 including GST for 2026.
Bandi’s Boy won the G3 Star Kingdom Stakes, and Ancestry was a dual Listed winner in Melbourne. This season has seen the consistent mare Asgarda take her record to eight wins and over $1.1 million, having won the 2024 Country Championship Final, and she was placed in the G3 Wenona Girl Handicap this season.
“Asgarda will be back in for the spring. We have a share in her but the main owner is Lance Gilbert out of Griffith, and he's got a few fellas from that way in her with him,” Lamont said.
The Brothers War (USA) | Standing at Kooringal Stud
“She's won over $1.1 million now. She’s trained in Sydney now with John Sargent. You just run out of options in the bush, so she had to go to town.
“The Brothers War does a great job. His average earnings are about $130,000 per starter. And his runners to winners ratio is high, he just never gets many mares. I’ve got some nice ones coming through. John Sargent has another 2-year-old of ours, and there are some nice weanlings at the moment.”
The Brothers War, a Listed winning son of War Front (USA), has sired 56 winners who have won 199 races.
