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Home Affairs To Skip TJ Smith In Favour Of Royal Ascot

Updated: March 22, 2022 at 11:00 am

Home Affairs (I Am Invincible - Miss Interiors) ridden by James McDonald (navy cap) on the inside defeats Nature Strip (Jamie Kah) to win (G1) VRC Lightning Stakes (1000m). Lightning Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse. Darren Tindale - The Image is Everything © The Image is Everything - Bronwen Healy & Darren Tindale Photography

Instead of contesting the Apr. 2 G1 T J Smith S. over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick, dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus})), will be freshened for a Northern Hemisphere campaign with his sights set on Royal Ascot, according to a tweet by Chris Waller Racing. A winner of the G2 Silver Slipper S. and third in the G2 Todman S. for trainer Chris Waller, Coolmore, Wynaus, Et. Al as a juvenile, the bay progressed at three to take the G1 Coolmore Stud S. on Oct. 30 and the G1 Lightning S. on Feb. 19, both at Flemington. He exited the G1 Newmarket H. with a ninth on Mar. 12.

“Home Affairs has pulled up bright and well following the Newmarket H., however [he] does have some tightness across his back and hindquarters,” Chris Wall Racing said via Twitter on Tuesday. “We have therefore made the decision that rather than running in the T J Smith, he will have a quiet time over the next two weeks while we concentrate on a Northern Hemisphere campaign including Royal Ascot. We will keep you informed once plans are finalised.”