Champion trainer Chris Waller said the highlight of the three-horse jump-out at Flemington featuring the Royal Ascot bound Nature Strip, Home Affairs and Artorius was how well Home Affairs settled.
Nature Strip won the 900m jump-out down the Flemington straight on Friday morning, but Waller took a keen interest in how Home Affairs travelled under James McDonald.
“We’ve got Nature Strip sorted and we’ve been working on Home Affairs,” Waller said.
“This morning was a big plus as I didn’t want him charging.
“That was the highlight of the morning for me to see Home Affairs settle well, because if he gets over there and charges like he did in the Newmarket, he won’t run 1200 metres.”
Successful in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington, Home Affairs ruined his chances in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) by refusing to settle before finishing ninth.
Waller has Nature Strip aimed at the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot on June 14 with Home Affairs, to be joined by the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Artorius, heading to the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on June 18.
The Waller pair has now ticked every box ahead of departing for the UK next week which the trainer said would be a 30-hour plus trip stable to stable.
Waller said a previous trip to Royal Ascot with Brazen Beau, second in the Diamond Jubilee in 2015, had given him the confidence, and the appetite to return.
He said he needed to find the right horse and believes Nature Strip and Home Affairs fit the bill.
With their work complete in Australia, Waller said his pair was likely to do one piece of work following their arrival in England.
“Not quite as strong, but they’ll only do that piece of work if they’re thriving,” he said.
Sam Freedman was happy with how Artorius performed in the jump-out under Mark Zahra who will make way for Jamie Spencer in the Platinum Jubilee.
“I never thought he’d be trialling better than Nature Strip and Home Affairs over 900 metres, but he tacked on a bit better than we thought he might have,” Freedman said.
“Mark said he was a bit keen early and wanted to race them, but he eventually settled well in behind before being given a push late which he always needs.”