Continuing to further extend his lead in the First Season Sire race, Home Affairs supplied the winner of the opening race at Kembla Grange on Thursday as the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly Hearts Affair won with ease.
Down the track on debut in February, the filly was sent to the paddock, and off the back of a recent barrier trial victory, Hearts Affair jumped away the narrow second favourite in the maiden field of eight juveniles.
Going forward from the inside barrier, jockey Regan Bayliss settled the filly in fourth position behind leader Monte Shell with the Peter Snowden trained Union tracking along in second.
Racing quite a few lengths off the fence as the field turned for home, Hearts Affair was forced even wider to make her run, coming to the outside of the field where she let down nicely.
Charging past the leader with 200m to run, Bayliss eased his mount down on the line, crossing two and a quarter lengths clear of the Robert and Luke Price trained race favourite Farnan filly Andarna.
The well-related Snitzel colt Union battled on for third under Zac Lloyd.
Purchased for $160,000 from the Morning Rise Stud draft at the Inglis Premier yearling sale by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott as well as Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Hearts Affair is the second winner from three to the races out of the G2 VRC Matriarch Stakes-winning Savabeel mare Savapinski (NZ).
The mare has a yearling full sister to Hearts Affair, and after missing the following season to Home Affairs was covered by the Champion son of I Am Invincible in the spring.
Hearts Affair becomes the 18th first crop winner for Home Affairs, who is the Champion Australian First Season Sire elect headed by his G1 Golden Slipper winning son Guest House, earning him a service fee increase to $176,000 (inc. GST) at Coolmore this spring.
