Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Owners and breeders alike were left grasping for superlatives after the enormously valuable colt exploded away in the straight, leaving a high-class field standing still in a blistering 3l blitz.
It was a dream result for race sponsor Coolmore, who bought Home Affairs for $875,000 from the 2020 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale and share ownership with a large syndicate. The Chris Waller-trained colt races in Coolmore’s world-famous navy blue colours.
Home Affairs winning the Coolmore Stud S. | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“Home Affairs was absolutely amazing today,” Coolmore’s Racing Manager Rob Archibald told TDN AusNZ. “He delivered what we’ve always thought he was capable of, and he’s done it on the most important stage of all. For him to be so dominant against a field of that class was just incredible.
“There aren’t many Group 1-winning colts by I Am Invincible, so he’s become hugely valuable. He’s always shown that sort of class and promised so much, and we’d targeted this race as his Grand Final.
“It’s become such an important race on the Australian calendar, and to win it with this horse means so much to the whole team and to everyone in the syndicate.
“It’s become such an important race on the Australian calendar, and to win it with this horse means so much to the whole team and to everyone in the syndicate.” - Rob Archibald
“Chris Waller is an absolute master of getting horses right for the biggest days, and he’s done it again. We’re all extremely grateful.”
Coolmore is a breeding powerhouse across the thoroughbred world, and there is now a possibility for Home Affairs to try to add some Northern Hemisphere lustre to his future stallion credentials.
“This was always the Grand Final for this preparation, so the horse will go out for a break now,” Archibald said. “In a few weeks’ time, we’ll all sit down and come up with a plan for the autumn.
“If he comes up in similar sort of form again, a trip to Royal Ascot could potentially be on the cards. But that’s still a long way away, and we’ll just take things one step at a time for now.
“He’s done an amazing job for us. That was a really big one today, and we’ll take time to enjoy it for a few days before we start thinking about what races we might try to pick out for him in the autumn.”
Rob Archibald, Colm Santry and Tom Moore | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Torryburn’s pride and joy
Home Affairs was bred by Torryburn Stud, whose Stud Manager Melissa Copelin was left similarly dumbfounded by the dominance of Saturday’s Group 1 triumph.
“He was incredible,” she said. “I thought he’d run well, but not that well! He just annihilated them, and it was so amazing to watch.”
Home Affairs is out of Miss Interiors (Flying Spur), who the Torryburn team bought for $625,000 from the 2017 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Miss Interiors is now the dam of two Group 1 performers from her only two foals to race. Home Affairs’ older half-brother Aysar (Deep Field) placed in the Caulfield Guineas.
“For the mare to have two high-quality Group 1 performers from those first two foals is amazing for her, and obviously Home Affairs himself is such a valuable horse now,” Copelin said. “I think he’ll make a very special stallion in time.
“I was there when he was foaled, and he was such an impressive colt from day one. He was probably the best foal I’ve ever seen. So we always knew he was something quite special, and he’s just gone on from there.”
“I was there when he (Home Affairs) was foaled, and he was such an impressive colt from day one. He was probably the best foal I’ve ever seen. So we always knew he was something quite special, and he’s just gone on from there.” - Melissa Copelin
“He has it all – conformation, presence and a beautiful temperament, and he’s just a machine. He’s amazing.”
Home Affairs’ exploits have provided rich rewards to Torryburn for their purchase of Miss Interiors, whose value has grown massively in the four years since they bought her. A big contributer to that is her half-brother Russian Revolution (Snitzel), who won the G1 The Galaxy and G1 Oakleigh Plate before embarking on a valuable stud career of his own.
“We bought her in foal to Deep Field, so she was carrying her first foal Aysar,” Copelin said. “We really liked her and picked her out of that Sale. We bought her before her half-brother Russian Revolution had won the Oakleigh Plate. We rated Russian Revolution pretty highly and were hoping he might be able to go on and do something like that, so that was a great result for the mare, and she’s just carried on from there.”
Gallery: Progeny of Miss Interiors as yearlings
Wilbury to debut
If an incredible Coolmore Stud S. victory by Home Affairs wasn’t enough, there could be more black-type success still to come this week for Torryburn Stud and Miss Interiors.
A half-brother to Home Affairs by Capitalist was sold to James Harron for $1.05 million at this year’s Inglis Sydney Easter Sale. Now trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman and named Wilbury, that colt is set to make his debut at Flemington on Tuesday.
“We had an amazing result with the half-brother at the sales earlier this year, and now he’s going to run in the Maribyrnong Plate on Tuesday,” Copelin said. “It would be a pretty incredible week for our team if he could perform well there.
“Since then, the mare has had a colt by Dundeel who will go to the Easter Sale next year, and now there’s a filly by Dundeel on the ground now as well – the mare’s first filly.
“She’s booked in to I Am Invincible again now, so hopefully there’s a bit more for us to be excited about in the future.”
