Home Affairs Winner for Te Akau

Home Affairs posted his second winner in New Zealand on Sunday when Kinnaird (2c Home Affairs x Orinda, by O’Reilly) saluted on debut at Otaki in the Te Akau Racing colours.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson trained colt started favourite after some good efforts at the trials and produced a tenacious effort to take the 1100m contest by a head.

He raced on the pace for Craig Grylls and was strong to the line when challenged and the prizemoney earned by Kinnaird on Sunday will see him climb up the all important order of entry ladder for a possible tilt at the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO on January 24.

“It was a really good performance to stick his head out and win in a close finish and he showed plenty of grit and determination,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson.

“He was left in front a little bit soon in the straight, and was a touch green at his first start, but he knuckled down strongly when the other horse arrived up alongside.

“He’ll take a lot of improvement from the race and trip away, and I think that after a short freshen-up, he’ll keep furnishing into an even better young horse. There is plenty of upside with him.

“The family has invariably left horses that win over much more distance and as older horses, but he has shown precocity and natural talent to be able to race and win as a two-year-old and there is a lot more scope to come.

“He’s eligible for the Karaka Millions 2YO in January at Ellerslie, and that will be our aim.”

A $340,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from Highview for David Ellis, Kinnaird is a half-brother to Group I winner Jon Snow and stakes-winner Princess Rhaenys being the fifth winner from eight foals to race from Orinda, a winning grand-daughter of Champion NZ 3YO Filly Solveig.

Kinnaird is the second winner for Home Affairs, who is also the sire of stakes-placed I’m Ya Huckleberry and Harvey Wallbanger.

Home Affairs has 46 entries for Magic Millions 2026, 22 for Inglis Classic and 10 for Karaka Book