ANZAC Day hosts several 2yo black-type races around Australia and it gives Coolmore Stud stallion Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) a chance to go further ahead at the top of the Australian First-Season Sires’ premiership.
Chris Waller entered Home Affairs filly Affari for races in Sydney and Brisbane this weekend and he decided to send her north for the Calaway Gal Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Eagle Farm where she will be ridden by Tommy Berry.
Affari (2 f ex Super Too, by Hinchinbrook) was placed at Canterbury on debut in February before winning a barrier trial at the same track a fortnight ago. She’s rated highly by the stable and sits third in line of betting for the Calaway Gal, behind local fillies Olivoni (Zoustar) and Esperanza (Spirit Of Boom).
Affari was bred in Queensland by Glenlogan Park and sold for $370,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Brett Howard (as agent) for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds.
Glenlogan Park manager Steve Morley remembers Affari presenting as a correct, good-moving, athletic filly at the Magic Millions. “She went through the ring at the tail-end of the Friday session and from memory she was the final filly by Home Affairs in Book 1.
“Brett told me they were determined to buy her because they had been underbidders on a few of his yearlings during the first three sessions.
“We sent her dam Super Too to Home Affairs in his initial book and Coolmore must be over the moon with his first crop,” Morley said. “He’s the real deal and is doing a tremendous job with the Golden Slipper winner Guest House and other stakes winners in Australian and New Zealand.
“He has obvious stallion appeal as a son of I Am Invincible and was the best colt of his generation with Chris Waller winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Lightning Stakes at Flemington.”
Waller was more than pleased and relieved when Home Affairs made history as the first 3yo Lightning Stakes winner since Fastnet Rock in 2005. “It was a big gamble bringing him here today. He’s the new boy on the block and has beaten the best at weight-for-age so it’s pretty exciting.”
Glenlogan Park stayed with the sireline selling an I Am Invincible three-quarter brother to Affari at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale earlier this month to Michael Freedman for $460,000.
Super Too was a speed machine winning a Moonee Valley Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge (955m) while under the care of trainer Marc Connors and she was also Group 2 placed in the ATC Challenge Stakes (1000m) and MRC Caulfield Sprint (1000m).
Her older half-brother Super One (I Am Invincible) was crowned Singapore’s Champion two-year-old of 2015 before being repatriated to Australia, where he added the McKay Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) in Adelaide for Lee and Anthony Freedman.
Home Affairs has an insurmountable lead on the first-season sires’ premiership with earnings of $3.96 million and he’s also on top of Australian two-year-old table albeit by a slender margin over Snitzel ($3.74 million).
His sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) was Champion Australian first-season sire in 2013–14 ($1.16 million) and the most recent Coolmore resident to claim that title was Justify (Scat Daddy) in 2022-23 ($1.99m). Darley sire Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) set a new mark in that category for progeny earnings in 2023-24 ($4.16m).
Newgate sire Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) is second on the freshman sires’ table courtesy of ATC Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Incognito and his filly Nialah holds an entry to the ANZAC Day Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington today.
Trainer Ciaron Maher sent her south in search of black-type following a debut third behind Tenenbaum (Snitzel) at Wyong last month. She’s bred to go early, being a daughter of VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Madeenaty (Exceed And Excel).
NZ-based Sword Of State (Snitzel) has made an immediate impact in Australia through his brilliant ATC Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Warwoven, and the Cambridge Stud resident can notch another first-crop winner closer to home with High Goal in the Beyond Water 2yo Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Godolphin freshman Pinatubo (Shamardal) sits inside the top five on the first-season sires’ table, with Tales Of Time, Zambales and Hardanger all Group-placed at Flemington and Randwick. His Perth-based filly Hillside Avenue continues to improve for trainer Simon Miller and she can break the ice in the Peters Investments 2yo Plate (1100m) at Ascot.
The Yarradale Stud homebred has been run down at both her starts this prep and will appreciate the drop back in distance from 1200 metres under leading hoop Clint Johnston-Porter
Hillside Avenue is the final foal from Melba Avenue (Street Sense) and her first was iron-horse Valour Road (Frosted). He won the 2018 Karrakatta Plate (Gr 2, 1200m) and the last of his half-dozen Group victories was the 2023 Lee-Steere Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
The Peters Investments 2yo Plate (1100m) has also been targeted by Mark The Sky (St Mark’s Basilica) who is an unraced half-brother to MRC Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Portland Sky (Deep Field). The Anita Vale Stud homebred has opened as a $3 favourite after an impressive barrier trial win at Belmont last week.
Mark the Sky is a son of St Mark's Basilica (Siyouni) who is a barn-mate of Home Affairs at Coolmore. His first-crop is headed by stakes-winning colt Aristopolos who stretched his unbeaten record to six for part-owner and trainer John Blacker in the Alfa Bowl (1200m) in Launceston last Friday.












