'In the mould of his sire' - Coolmore sets Home Affairs fee at record A$110,000

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-class Chris Waller-trained sprinter, who is expected to barrier trial at Rosehill on Friday ahead of his British swansong, will stand for an introductory fee of A$110,000 (£63,000/€74,000) on the back of his Coolmore Stud Stakes and Black Caviar Lightning Stakes victories at Flemington.

The decision to retire A$875,000 Inglis Easter graduate Home Affairs means he will not race on at four 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 (A$44,000) and colonial stakes-winning juvenile Acrobat (A$13,750) have previously been announced as fellow first-season sires.

Coolmore Australia’s Tom Moore said: “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 have seen him become one of the best stallion prospects to retire to stud in Australia for many years.

“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 mould 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 out of Miss Interiors, a half-sister to leading first-season sire Russian Revolution, whose now two-year-old Wilbury brought A$1.05 million 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,” added Moore.

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

Justify: another of Coolmore's sports car stallionsCredit: Joan Faras

To put Home Affairs’ fee in perspective, Trapeze Artist, The Autumn Sun and Justify retired to stud in 2019 at A$88,000, A$77,000 and A$77,0000 respectively, while Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside will retire this year at a fee of A$77,000.

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

Home Affairs’ sire I Am Invincible’s 2022 fee has been increased to A$247,500.

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

Pierro, the sire of this season’s Kingston Town Classic winner Regal Power and Percy Sykes-winning juvenile Paris Dior, will stand for a slightly reduced fee of A$99,000, 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 A$93,500.

The sire of eight stakes winners this season and 38 overall, So You Think has covered more than 200 mares in the past four years and his yearlings have averaged A$164,936 this season

Coolmore Australia sales and nominations manager Colm Santry said: “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.

So You Think: 'We still see him as tremendous value for breeders'Credit: Coolmore

“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 A$71,500 and A$55,000 respectively, as will American Pharoah at A$49,500.

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 one of the best stallions in Europe, and he stands for at a very reasonable fee for a stallion with his achievements."

As for Justify, a stallion Coolmore has provided with unprecedented support, Santry said of his progeny: “They sold for top prices of A$1,000,000, A$950,000 and A$900,000 twice 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 recognise the significant upside in supporting him this season, as his first and second crops will be three and four respectively when this season’s matings are sold as yearlings.”

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

Coolmore stallion roster

20222021

Fastnet Rock (Danehill)$165,000unchanged

Home Affairs (I Am Invincible)$110,000new

Pierro (Lonhro)$99,000$110,000

So You Think (High Chaparral)$93,500$77,000

Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj)$71,500unchanged

Justify (Scat Daddy)$55,000unchanged

American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) $49,500unchanged

St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni)$44,000new

Yes Yes Yes (Rubick)$38,500unchanged

King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice)$33,000unchanged

Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock)$27,500$33,000

Churchill (Galileo)$22,000unchanged

Magna Grecia (Invincible Spirit)$19,250unchanged

Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact)$19,250$13,750

Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry)$16,500$22,000

Acrobat (Fastnet Rock)$13,750 new

Adelaide (Galileo)$5,500unchanged

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