Home Affairs Commands Top Dollar Upon Retirement

Dual group 1-winning sprinter Home Affairs, the son of I Am Invincible  who will chase international glory at Royal Ascot in June, will retire to Coolmore this season as the most expensive first season sire in Australian Thoroughbred breeding history.

The top Chris Waller-trained sprinter, who is expected to barrier trial at Rosehill tomorrow ahead of his UK swansong, will stand for an introductory fee of AU$110,000 (US$78,084) (all fees incl. GST) on the back of his Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) and Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) victories at Flemington.

The decision to retire the AU$875,000 ($532,607) Inglis Easter graduate Home Affairs means he will not race on at 4 and target The Everest, a race his roster mate Yes Yes Yes won in 2019, and will be one of three new stallions on the Coolmore Australia roster this year.

Five-time group 1-winning shuttler St Mark's Basilica  (AU$44,000, $31,199) and colonial stakes-winning juvenile Acrobat (AU$13,750, $9,755) have previously been announced as fellow first season sires. 

"It's with the utmost excitement that we welcome Home Affairs to Coolmore for the upcoming season. He was identified by the team at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as an absolute 'must have' offering. His perfect blend of speed, pedigree, and physique has seen him become one of the best stallion prospects to retire to stud in Australia for many years," Coolmore Australia's Tom Moore said. 

"I Am Invincible is the most commercial sire in Australia and consistently produces outstanding types. Similarly, Home Affairs is a magnificent looking individual; a big, strong, imposing colt with immense quality, very much in the mold of his own sire. 

"It is a sire line that is known for producing good-looking stock and Home Affairs is certain to impress everyone who comes to inspect him at the farm." 

Home Affairs is a half brother to the stakes-placed Aysar and is out of Miss Interiors (Flying Spur), a half sister to leading first season sire Russian Revolution, whose now 2-year-old colt Wilbury brought AU$1.05 million ($804,770) at the 2021 Inglis Easter sale.

"He hails from the great Fanfreluche family, responsible for producing leading stallions such as Encosta de Lago, Flying Spur, and the emerging Russian Revolution," Moore said. 

"We view Home Affairs as a vitally important stallion for the future of the Australian breeding industry and he will be supported accordingly." 

To put Home Affairs' fee in perspective, Trapeze Artist, The Autumn Sun, and Justify   retired to stud in 2019 at AU$88,000, AU$77,000, and AU$77,000, respectively, while Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) winner Stay Inside will retire this year at a fee of AU$77,000 ($54,636).

Champion colt Pierro, the most recent Sydney Triple Crown-winning juvenile, also retired to stud at a fee of AU$77,000 in 2013.

Home Affairs' sire I Am Invincible has had his 2022 service fee increased to AU$247,500 ($175,717).

While Home Affairs is about to start his career at stud, Coolmore veteran Fastnet Rock , a leading stallion in 2011-12 and 2014-15, is being readied for his 18th southern hemisphere season at an unchanged fee of AU$165,000 ($117,173), heading the roster of 17 stallions, eight of whom are shuttlers.

Pierro, the sire of this season's Drummond Golf-Kingston Town Classic (G1) winner Regal Power and Furphy Percy Sykes Stakes (G2) winning juvenile Paris Dior, will stand for a slightly reduced fee of AU$99,000 ($70,254) while So You Think , who had a breakout Sydney autumn carnival through the deeds of group 1 winners Think it Over, Nimalee, and Knights Order, will stand for an increased AU$93,500 ($66,351).

The sire of eight stakes winners this season (seven in Australia and one in Hong Kong) and 38 overall, So You Think has covered more than 200 mares in each of the past four years and his yearlings have averaged AU$166,535 this season. 

"Highlighted by three individual group 1 winners on the same day at Randwick during The Championships, So You Think has had yet another phenomenal season on the track. He has long established himself as one of Australia's elite sires and, as the current leader on the Australian general sires table, he has well and truly earned a fee increase for the upcoming season," Coolmore Australia sales and nominations manager Colm Santry said. 

"Despite this increase, we still see him as tremendous value for breeders who have been served so well by him over the years. He is such a consistent sire and we genuinely believe that the best is yet to come for So You Think."

Shuttlers Wootton Bassett  and Justify, whose first southern hemisphere yearlings have been sold this year, will return at an unchanged fees of AU$71,500 ($50,786) and AU$55,000 ($39,067), respectively, as will American Pharoah   at AU$49,500 ($35,153).

Wootton Bassett, who has sire son Almanzor  standing at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand and group 1-winning sprinter Wooded shuttling to Swettenham Stud in Victoria this year, covered 188 mares in his first southern hemisphere season, including Sunlight, Qafila, O'Marilyn, Oohood, Tulip, and Villa Carlotta. 

Coolmore's Moore said: "He is quite unique in that most stallions come here from overseas as unproven horses whereas he has come to Australia as not just a proven horse but as one of the best stallions in Europe and he stands at a very reasonable fee for a stallion with his achievements," said Moore.

As for Justify, a stallion to which Coolmore has provided unprecedented support, Santry said: "They sold for top prices of $1,000,000, $950,000, $900,000, and $900,000 to join all the leading stables throughout the country. 

"The quality of the mares he covered in his first season has been well documented. However, there has also been great continuity, with his second crop foals, including progeny of the likes of Sunlight, Invincibella, Nakeeta Jane, Srikandi, Formality, Champagne Cuddles, Charmont, Tulip, and Rezoned as well as a sibling to group 1 winner Catchy. 

"Forward-thinking breeders will recognize the significant upside in supporting him this season, as his first and second crops will be 3 and 4, respectively, when this season's matings are sold as yearlings."

European shuttler Calyx  is not returning to Australia this year after two seasons at Jerrys Plains.