Home Affairs to barrier trial as part of his Royal Ascot preparation

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller had dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs entered for the Warwick Farm trials session last week but decided to wait and barrier trial the three-year-old on his home track.

“The only reason for the withdrawal on Friday was we are a little bit ahead of schedule with the colt,” said Waller’s stable representative, Charlie Duckworth told Sky Sports Radio on Monday.

“Chris always plans with that bonus week in hand so that if there is some sort of issue we don’t fall behind. We have had no issue with the colt so we are a week ahead.”

Home Affairs is expected to have two barrier trials before leaving for England’s famous Royal Ascot carnival in June.

“There is still a long way to go until Ascot so we have plenty of time,” Duckworth said.

“Ultimately, we want to do most of the work here so we are sending over a fit racehorse.

“We don’t want to have to do ‘panic work’ over there on tracks we don’t know that well and he doesn’t know that well either.”

Home Affairs hasn’t raced since finishing only ninth in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington last month when his winning chances were compromised by a pronounced track bias.

At his previous start, Home Affairs held off the late surge of stablemate Nature Strip to win the Group 1 Lightning Stakes.

Waller’s sprinting superstars are both being aimed at Royal Ascot with Nature Strip going overseas as the world’s highest-rated horse so far this year on 124 while Home Affairs is equal seventh with a 120 rating.

Nature Strip’s raced deeper into the autumn and won a third successive TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick during The Championships earlier this month so his preparation for England is a little different to Home Affairs.

“Obviously Nature Strip continued on racing in the autumn and has had less time off than Home Affairs,” Duckworth said.

“Nature Strip did have a very quiet gallop over 800m on Saturday morning and his track rider said the horse felt sensational.”

Waller hasn’t locked in which races his sprinters will contest at Royal Ascot but Home Affairs is rated early favourite at $6 ahead of Nature Strip at $7 for the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes (1200m).

There is also the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) under consideration with Nature Strip second favourite at $5.50 and Home Affairs on the fourth line of betting at $11 behind American sprinter Golden Pal at $3.50.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Artorius is also being aimed at Royal Ascot and is most likely to contest the Platinum Jubilee Stakes where he is at $15 in latest betting.

Nature Strip, Home Affairs and Artorius form the strongest Australian sprint team for Royal Ascot since 2007 when the Lee Freedman-trained Miss Andretti won the King’s Stand Stakes with Peter Moody’s Magnus in third placing just ahead of Joe Janiak’s cult hero Takeover Target.

Originally published as Home Affairs to step out Rosehill barrier trial this week as Royal Ascot preparation ramps up