4 Win NY Day - Kinnaird Kills Them

Continuing a terrific record for Te Akau Racing in the $225,000 Group 2 SkyCity Eclipse Stakes (1200m), Kinnaird (2 c Home Affairs – Orinda, by O’Reilly) was a strong winner of the race on 1 January at Ellerslie - taking him to the top of the Order of Entry for the Karaka Millions 2YO, and providing his sire with his first ever stakes' winner.

The race of course, was also the very first Group race of 2026 staged anywhere in the world!

From a terrific family, with good size, strength, and natural precocity, Kinnaird recorded a debut victory in the 2YO 1100 metres on 30 November at Otaki, and joined Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), Trobriand (Kermadec), and Horse of the Year Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) to make it three wins from the last five years for the stable, and Te Akau's sixth Eclipse Stakes in total.

Allowed to settle off the pace by stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM, who has been bullish on the potential of the colt, Kinnaird was sixth at the 600m and seized on a run near the rail at the 200m to power through with an undeniable finish.

When race favourite Harvey Wallbanger had circled up from back in the field to assume the lead, it set up for Kinnaird to capitalize on a more economical trip, while providing a stakes' race quinella for first season sire Home Affairs (I Am Invincible).  

“I wanted to come out (off the rail), but he was a bit horse-shy of the horse outside me, so it gave no choice but to go in,” Bosson said. “But once he balanced up, geez, he’s got a good finish on him.

“As soon as I asked him the question, he really knuckled down and wanted to win, which is what you need with a colt heading towards the Karaka Millions 2YO.”

On Soft6 footing, Kinnaird ran 1200 metres in 1:12.6, last 600m in 35.8 (approx.), and paid $7.00 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was an Opie (Bosson) of old, ride, a brilliant ride and the horse is still new, still green, and did a lot wrong, but the experience and class of Opie got him through,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“You could see the horse come up underneath Opie turning for home. He’s a big colt and he’s on track. He did it with a bit in hand in the end, so it was nice win.”

Kinnaird will now attempt to become the ninth winner for Te Akau in the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) on 24 January at Ellerslie. The stable won the race seven times in succession between 2017 – 2023 and again last year (2025) with Champion Two-Year-Old La Dorada. 

Asked whether Kinnaird could be a winning chance in the Karaka Millions 2YO, Bosson said: “I think so, one-hundred percent. He’s got a lot of up-side about him, he’s still learning, and we’ve still got the option of putting the blinkers on him, too.”

From the first crop of Australian Champion Three-Year-Old Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), Kinnaird is a half-brother to Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) winner and sire Jon Snow (Iffraaj), who stands at Clearview Stud in the South Island.

Owned by the Te Akau Home and Abroad Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Kinnaird was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $340,000 in January at the 2025 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Highview Stud.

Standing at Coolmore Stud, Home Affairs won the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) as a two-year-old at Rosehill, and became the Champion 3YO Colt in Australia, after winning the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m), both at Flemington.  

Adding to his stallion credentials, the dam of Home Affairs, Miss Interiors (Flying Spur), is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and the Leading First Crop Sire for 2021/22 in Australia, Russian Revolution (Snitzel), as well as Group 3 winner Turbo Miss (Sebring). 

His dam Orinda, by NZ Champion Broodmare Sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon), was a dual winner over 1400 metres, and notably the dam of sire Jon Snow (Iffraaj), winner of the Group 1 Australian Derby and Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m), among four wins from 1200m – 2400m.

She also produced Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj), six-time winner from 1600m – 2100m, including a stakes’ win and Group Three runner-up.

Kinnaird is from one of the best families in the New Zealand stud book, known by some as the Moore family, with third dam Solveig (Imposing) who won 14 races being out Soliloquy (Sobig), a foundation mare for Richard Moore. 

Among the history of top sales' graduates from 100 years of yearling sales in New Zealand, the name Soliloquy and her subsequent lineage continue to show up. It really is a fabulously talented family with oodles of class and quality.

Through five generations the family has left 12 individual Group 1 winners. 

At the time of purchasing Kinnaird, Ellis said: “He’s a fast looking two-year-old type and we love that Home Affairs is really stamping his yearlings as quality types. 

“Anytime we see something in the catalogue from the Soliloquy family that takes our eye it’s exciting, and we were thrilled to be able to buy him.

“We had him down as one of the best colts in the sale, on type and pedigree, so we’re very happy to get him for $340,000.”

Kinnaird carries a bloodline cross to Champion Sire Nureyev (Northern Dancer), a racehorse with immense turn of foot, Champion French 3YO, and sire of more than 20 champions, while Home Affairs is bred on the Danehill sire line. 

Kinnaird was strapped by Kohen Collett. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz