Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
There have been only five juvenile stakes races so far this season and two of the winners have come from the pastures at Segenhoe Stud. The results are an effective demonstration for why Yulong invested in the land, moving in before the current breeding season. Listed Debutant Stakes winner Soldi (Tassort) was joined on Cup Day by G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Amelia’s Affair (Home Affairs).
“She was a beautiful foal that developed into beautiful yearling. She was always a standout in the crop, obviously from the second crop of Home Affairs,” Brian Clarke said. The current Yulong NSW Stud Manager previously worked on the same property under the Segenhoe Stud banner.
“She was incredibly popular at the sales. And it’s good to see her come out early and do that as a as a 2-year-old pre-Christmas.”
“She (Amelia's Affair) was always a standout in the crop... she was incredibly popular at the sales.” - Brian Clarke
Brian Clarke | Image courtesy of Yulong Investments
A big risk purchase that has paid off
Amelia’s Affair, bred by Peter Walsh’s Amelia Park, was sold by Segenhoe Stud at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Archibald Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $700,000 for her. Walsh kept a portion of her, and Annabel Archibald admitted post-race that she had to ring around last minute to finalise her ownership.
“(It's) a good ownership group and we only finished selling her a couple of weeks ago,” Archibald said.
“She’s going to take us on a good ride, very talented. I rang Damian Degenhardt a few weeks ago and said I've got this filly I need to finish selling and I think she's pretty good, so I could have had egg on my face. But just a great fun group and she's just very, very talented.”
The victory earned her $147,500 but the Group 3 tag on her record is worth much, much more.
Amelia’s Affair winning the G3 Maribyrnong Plate | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Annabel and I just loved her at the sale. She was one of the fillies that really stood out, and I know that's an easy thing to say in hindsight, but we don't usually spend that sort of money at the sale. She was athletic and a real stand out,” Rob Archibald told TTR on Wednesday.
“She (Amelia's Affair) was one of the fillies that really stood out, and I know that's an easy thing to say in hindsight, but we don't usually spend that sort of money at the sale.” - Rob Archibald
“Home Affairs had already started to kick a few goals and she was a filly we wanted to try and have in our stable. She was very well bred, great pedigree.”
Rob Archibald agreed that Amelia’s Affair was a little difficult to find owners for.
“At that price point, there’s a certain amount of risk in it, but we work hard to try and get those quality fillies into the stable and she certainly kicked off her career well,” Archibald said.
“She's been very straightforward to train and she started to show some really positive signs six weeks ago. It was a little bit unknown going down the straight for the first time especially on a big day, they've got to take it all in.
“But on the Monday when she had her first look at Flemington and cantered around, she took it all in. She’s quite smart. There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and the Magic Milllions (2YO Classic) or the Golden Slipper, but she’s certainly put herself in as a talking horse for those races.”
Rob Archibald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
It’s been well documented that Home Affairs sired the G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House with his first crop. Can Amelia’s Affairs make it two in a row?
The Home Affairs hip and movement
From the second crop of last season’s Champion First Season Sire Home Affairs, Amelia’s Affair becomes the seventh stakes winner for the dual Group 1 winning son of I Am Invincible.
“Home Affairs, he's probably a Champion Sire in waiting. He’s had an incredible start to his career at stud. This filly is very typical from what I've seen of his stock, she's just very athletic and fast looking,” Clarke said.
“She just looked fast. A big hip, very good action, a beautiful head. Just a quality filly. We thought she’d sell well, but she certainly sold above our expectations.
“Annabel definitely had a big swing to purchase her for that price, but her judgement has paid off. She’s obviously a great type, to make that much at the sales, you have to be.”
“Annabel (Archibald) definitely had a big swing to purchase her (Amelia's Affair) for that price, but her judgement has paid off.” - Brian Clarke
Annabel Archibald and Amelia's Affair after winning the G3 Maribyrnong Plate | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Rob Archibald also had plenty of positive things to say about Home Affairs.
“We've got a couple of nice ones. I just love them. I think they're very straightforward to train. They're quite strong and most of them seem to have plenty of ability. She's obviously the standout for us,” Archibald said.
Type is one thing, but Amelia’s Affair also has a strong pedigree.
“She’s out of a very good mare from Western Australia that Peter Walsh purchased at the sales,” Clarke said.
Dance Music (War Chant {USA}) who won 12 times was successful at Group 3 level twice and Listed level three times in Western Australia. Amelia Park paid $500,000 for her at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. They have retained her first foal, 3-year-old colt See You Outside (Stay Inside).
Dance Music | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
She has a Capitalist yearling filly and foaled a Harry Angel (Ire) colt last month, but Dance Music is no longer located at Segenhoe Stud as Yulong have only their own mares on the property now.
Dance Music is a daughter of winning mare Fast Flowing (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}). She’s out of a winning Quest For Fame (GB) mare who is out of minor winner Lorelei (Danehill {USA}). There’s not a lot of black type, but they are winners and by strong damsires. Dance Music’s own Group class ability combined with Home Affairs appears to have elevated the pedigree to above its baseline potential.
Big spring for the new Yulong property
The spring of 2026 is the first one for Yulong at Segenhoe and it’s begun with a bang.
“We’ve also had Soldi, so Amelia’s Affair makes it two stakes winning 2-year-olds off the farm already this season, and we had the winner of the second race at Flemington on Cup Day too,” Clarke said.
Yauson (So You Think {NZ}) was sold by Segenhoe Stud for $240,000 to PL Bloodstock at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. His win on Cup Day took the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 4-year-old gelding to four wins from eight starts.
“It's a big day, and it's hard to win a race on those days.”
The G3 Maribyrnong Plate quinella provided another boost for Yulong with second-placed Royal Press (Alabama Express) racing in Yulong’s colours and by their sire who stands at their NSW property. Ironically, his only other start was second to Soldi in the Listed Debutant Stakes.
Amelia's Affair followed by Royal Press in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s now twice stakes-placed from two starts, so hopefully he can go on to win a stakes race in the autumn,” Clarke said.
“The Alabama Express progeny are not known to be precocious, so he should train on and hopefully win a stakes races, as a late 2-year-old or early 3-year-old.”
Alabama Express’s oldest crop are 5-year-olds and he has eight stakes winners led by multiple Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment. Additionally, Royal Press is out of Small Minds (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who won her only race over 1400 metres as a 3-year-old, and Siyouni’s foals aren’t exactly known for the precocity either. On paper, there’s plenty to come for Royal Press.
“The spring has been going really well. The sires have been very popular. Alabama Express and Devil Night in particular have been very well received. We’re supporting Private Harry heavily with our own mares. We're very happy with the stallion's fertility so far this season,” Clarke said.
Alabama Express | Standing at Yulong Segenhoe Stud
“The spring has been going really well. The sires have been very popular.” - Brian Clarke
“We foaled down 120 this season, so there's a very good crop of foals to come and the farm is very excited to take them to the 2028 (yearling) sales.”
The land at Yulong’s Segenhoe farm continues to deliver with Amelia’s Affair and Soldi, demonstrating that good horse land matters a lot in the equation for breeding a fast racehorse.
