Top three-year-old Home Affairs continued his build up to a Royal Ascot assault with a quiet trial at Rosehill on Friday.
Star colt Home Affairs wasn’t out to break records when cruising around in a Rosehill barrier trial on Friday.
The Royal Ascot bound three-year-old was never out of second gear in the 900-metre trial, going to the line under a James McDonald stranglehold to finish third behind stablemates O’president and Starman.
O’president won the trial in 54.87 seconds (last 600m in 35.10) by a neck from Starman with Home Affairs a half-head back in third.
Click here to view the footage of the trial (heat 5).
Home Affairs is likely to contest another barrier trial before leaving for England’s famous Royal Ascot carnival in June where he will contest the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes (1200m).
Home Affairs hasn’t raced since finishing only ninth in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March after the son of I Am Invincible held off his stablemate Nature Strip to win the Group 1 Lightning Stakes.
TAB.com.au has Home Affairs installed at $8 for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes behind the $5 favourite Nature Strip and Coolmore’s US based sprinter Golden Pal, trained by Wesley Ward, at $7.
Earlier this week Coolmore announced that Home Affairs will join their Australian stallion roster later this year at a first season fee of $110,000 (inc GST) while Chris Waller announced on Thursday that Nature Strip will defend his The Everest title in October when running for the Chris Waller Racing slot.
Meanwhile, Group 1 winner Hungry Heart is on track for a Queensland campaign with the mare proving too strong in a 1030m trial.
Another member of the powerful Waller team, Hungry Heart led throughout to win her heat (trial 3) narrowly in 1.03.99, running the last 600m in 35.54 seconds.
Hungry Heart is expected to line up in Saturday week’s Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast after her autumn campaign was constantly interrupted by Sydney’s big wet.
Hungry Heart is listed as an $11 chance with TAB.com.au for the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on may 21 behind the $1.90 favourite Zaaki.
Originally published as Home Affairs continues Royal Ascot build up
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