Strong exhibition workout has exciting youngster Home Affairs ready for Everest call-up

Trainer Chris Waller gives strongest indication yet Home Affairs will head towards The Everest after edging out Nature Strip in a Rosehill gallop.

Home Affairs is in line to fill Coolmore’s slot for next week’s The Everest. Picture: Getty Images

Trainer Chris Waller has given the strongest indication yet that Home Affairs will contest next week’s $15 million The TAB Everest after the brilliant colt shaded Nature Strip in a jumpout at Rosehill Gardens on Wednesday.

Home Affairs was ridden by Glen Boss and led throughout, holding a narrow margin over Nature Strip at the end of 900m in 50.58secs, including a fast final 600m in 32.45secs.

Nature Strip is already in The Everest field but a start for three-year-old Home Affairs is yet to be confirmed by owners Coolmore which has a vacant slot in the world’s richest turf race at Royal Randwick on October 16.

Home Affairs (left) held on to beat Nature Strip in their exhibition gallop at Rosehill on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

Home Affairs and #TABEverest runner Nature Strip have a hit-out at Rosehill

Will Home Affairs secure a slot?@aus_turf_club@cwallerracing@boss_glen@[e-mail]/zw8luNJOd3

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 6, 2021

But Waller, Coolmore and Boss combined to win The Everest with a three-year-old, Yes Yes Yes, two years ago and it seems likely they will team up again with Home Affairs.

“I regard Home Affairs as a pretty good horse, I would be happy to run the colt,” Waller replied when asked whether the young sprinter is ready for The Everest.

Yes Yes Yes won The Everest at his eighth (and final) career start but Home Affairs has only had five races and will be giving away considerable experience to the likes of stablemate Nature Strip next week.

But Waller said Home Affairs coped well with an exacting Golden Slipper preparation earlier this year and had returned a much better horse this spring.

It is unusual for Waller to request permission for a jumpout during at a midweek meeting but felt there were a number or reasons he wanted Home Affairs and Nature Strip to have a solid workout.

“With the Covid restrictions, I couldn’t trial them at Warwick Farm (Tuesday) and I didn’t necessarily want to take them over to Randwick on Friday,” Waller explained.

Three-year-old colt Home Affairs (left) was impressive winning the Heritage Stakes first-up. Picture: Getty Images

“But here on our home track, good surface, it’s on our back door, my staff don’t have to travel and the horses don’t have to travel.

“James McDonald hasn’t ridden Nature Strip for four weeks and Glen Boss had never sat on Home Affairs so they have both had an up-to-date feel of their horse (today).”

Waller also used the jumpout to try something new with 32-start veteran Nature Strip – using a barrier extension on the big chestnut.

“Nature Strip is such a placid horse in the barriers but he is a very, very long horse and he doesn’t have room,” Waller said.

“The penny has dropped on our heads to give him a bit more room so I think that (barrier extension) will help him have more space (for The Everest).”

Waller said it was the intention for Home Affairs to lead Nature Strip in the gallop.

“The three-year-old has had only one race (this spring) and he needed something solid,” Waller said.

“The plan was not to go too hard as I didn’t need them to have a race today. As hard as Nature Strip wants to go, he could have turned that into a race.

“Both of my jockeys were really happy and we can see how they are by next Tuesday and work out if they need another piece of work.”

Talented mare Libertini worked solo between races at Rosehill and pleased trainer Anthony Cummings. Picture: Getty Images

Nature Strip is currently at $5 in latest TAB fixed odds betting on The Everest and is behind only Classique Legend at $4.50.

Home Affairs is at $15 but is expected to firm once he is locked in as an Everest starter.

Another The Everest hopeful Libertini had a solo workout after the opening Rosehill raced, working over 800m in 50.62secs with a final 600m in 37.01secs.

Libertini was kept under a tight rein by jockey Sam Clipperton but the mare looked free in her action and seems to have shaken off the hoof complaint that had been troubling her two weeks ago.

Trainer Anthony Cummings wasn’t at Rosehill due to Covid restrictions but was glued to Sky Thoroughbred Central as Libertini went through her paces.

“She handled herself very well, the float trip away and all of that helps, it gets her focused and I was happy with the gallop,” Cummings said.

“I plan to give her another gallop on the Kensington track on the weekend then she will be ready to go for The Everest.”

Originally published as Strong exhibition workout has exciting youngster Home Affairs ready for Everest call-up