From hobbyists to Grand Circuit performers

SOUTHBROOK breeders Lindsay and Mary Vagg bought a couple of young standardbred mares to start a hobby breeding operation and were catapulted into Grand Circuit racing almost immediately.

They bought two daughters of super sire Fake Left in the early 2000s and one of the first foals they bred was star pacer I Am Sam, which banked more than $530,000 and finished second to Mr Feelgood in the 2009 A G Hunter Cup.

The Vaggs had tried to sell the son of Perfect Art at the Brisbane yearling sale but didn’t get a suitable bid.

I Am Sam had immediate success on the track. He won five two-year-old races and finished third in the Group One $300,000 Brisbane APG Final.

He won six of his first eight three-year-old starts, including the Group One APG Three-Year-Old Final, and notched placings in the Victoria, NSW and Australian Derbys.

His success continued into open class ranks where he won a swag of Group races and country cups and a heat of the 2009 Gold Coast Inter Dominion, beating superstar Smoken Up.

The Vaggs have bred a lot of smart horses in the ensuring two decades, including Bettor Bet Black (1.51.6, $445K), Pinup Boy (1.55.2, $155K), My Ultimate Levi (1.55.6, $151K) and outstanding trotter Victree Hill (Tr1.58.9, $178K).

They will offer two well bred youngsters at the 2025 APG Ipswich Yearling Sale on February 9.

Lot 117 is a colt by exciting new stallion Cattlewash from good producer Mardys Victree, which has left five winners, including Rock with Sam (1.51.1, $242K) - runner-up in the Qbred Finals for two and three-year-olds.

Rock With Sam was unplaced just twice in 11 starts at two. He won twice and finished second in the Group One Qbred final and third in the Group Two APG Final.

He won his first two starts as a three-year-old and finished the season with a sixth in the Queensland Derby.

He went on and raced in Grand Circuit and open class features.

This colt’s dam is a half-sister to the dam of Brisbane Two-Year-Old APG Final winner My Ultimate Levi (1.55.6, $151K) and Australian Gold Bullion heat winner Lochinvar Jewells.

Lot 124 is a filly by boom sire Captain Crunch from winning Christian Cullen mare Pacific Cullen (1.55.5, $29K), which won the Bathurst Gold Tiara Consolation as a two-year-old.

Pacific Cullen has already produced good youngster Vin Number (1.57.7, $55K), which won seven races at three.

This filly’s dam is a half-sister to NSW Breeders' Challenge Final placegetter Ideal Legacy (1.53.2, $236K), which won 28 races on US tracks.

Third dam, La Saint, won the Group One NSW Three-Year-Old Fillies' Sires' Stakes and left 10 winners, including iron horse Saint William (1.51.2, $798K), which won 64 races, and NSW Two-Year-Olds Breeders' Challenge Final winner No Ah Saint (1.54.3, $232K).

Captain Crunch sired 22 two-year-old winners from his first Australian crop in 2024. Three of his top five earners are fillies.

The cross of Captain Crunch over a Christian Cullen mare has already produced two-time two-year-old winner Captains Creek (1.58.9, $15K).

For full details of these or any other yearlings in the 2025 Ipswich Yearling Sale please visit APG’s Online Sales Catalogue or Register as a Buyer today!

• APG Media