Northerly


Northerly was an Australian racehorse who is considered arguably Australia's best middle distance Thoroughbred horse of the early 2000s. Northerly, trained by Western Australian harness racing legend Fred Kersley, won nine Group One races, including the Australian Cup twice, and the Cox Plate, regarded as the Weight for Age championship of Australasia, also on two occasions.
The horse, a bay gelding, was bred by Oakland Park Stud in Western Australia and was sired by Serheed from North Bell by Bellewater. Serheed, a half-brother to both Ajdal and Formidable, was the sire of 27 stakeswinners that had 84 stakeswins, mostly in Western Australia with Northerly being his best performer. North Bell was the dam of five named foals which included two other stakes winners, North Boy and Northern Song, both by Rory's Jester. Northerly was inbred to Northern Dancer in the third, fourth and fifth generation.

Racing career

Northerly had 37 race starts, for 19 wins, 7 seconds and 2 thirds, earning prize money of A$9.34 million. Northerly was a favourite of punters for his ability to win after appearing defeated, and this trait, in combination with his racing colours of yellow, black Maltese Cross and quartered cap earned him the nickname of "The Fighting Tiger".

Three- and four-year-old seasons: 1999–2001

After winning a string of minor races in Perth, Northerly burst on the scene with his victory in the 2000 Railway Stakes in his native Perth where he accounted for the state's best milers by nearly three lengths.
Following a first-up second in 2001 in the unsuitably short Australia Day Stakes in Perth, Northerly arrived in Melbourne for an autumn campaign aimed at the Australian Cup. He won his first race in Melbourne, the Carlyon Cup over 1,600 metres, by almost four lengths, in course record time, and began a successful relationship with New Zealand jockey Greg Childs.
Following a third, carrying 59 kilograms, in the Victoria Gold Cup, Northerly headed to the Australian Cup over 2,000 metres at Flemington – his first weight-for-age race against top class opposition. Despite racing three-wide, he won by just over three lengths in course record time. Greg Childs said "On that run today, to break the track record after racing three-wide, you'd have to say he's already on the way up to Sunline's status. He's not quite Sunline yet, but he's got all the hallmarks of a champion." Sunline, a champion New Zealand mare, had won the Cox Plate for two years running, and the spring clash with Northerly was now widely anticipated.

Five-year-old season: 2001–2002

Northerly was spelled for the winter, and started his campaign in Perth, where he won first-up and was defeated second-up with 62 kilograms. He then travelled to Melbourne, where he met Sunline for the first time in the John F Feehan Stakes in mid-September. This time, Damien Oliver took the ride, as Greg Childs was committed to Sunline. The great mare raced clear approaching the home turn, but Northerly rallied in the straight for the narrow, fighting victory that would become his trademark. Greg Childs said "Sunline was at peak fitness. We took off early and he looked a beaten horse. But he nailed us on the line. It was his determination. Often he looked to be struggling but he kept coming".
Not meeting again before the Cox Plate, Northerly added Group One wins in the Underwood and Caulfield Stakes, while Sunline edged to favouritism for the Cox Plate with her victory in the Turnbull Stakes.
The stage was now set for the 2001 Cox Plate. In typical style, Sunline led the field to the home turn, but – unlike the previous two years, when she raced clear in the straight – the Sydney three-year-old Viscount refused to give in, while Northerly loomed wider on the track. Nearing the line, the three horses buffeted one another on several occasions, and, while Northerly narrowly edged past Sunline and Viscount, the roughhouse conclusion to the race sparked three separate protests – second against first and third against first and second. After lengthy deliberations, stewards dismissed all three protests, and Northerly controversially retained the race. Nonetheless, Northerly had had an outstanding campaign, and the Cox Plate was his fourth win in-a-row.
Northerly returned to Perth, and his trainer Fred Kersley chose to run him in the Railway Stakes, which had been moved forward on the calendar. Unfortunately for the "home" crowd, the Cox Plate winner wilted badly in the home straight under 61.5 kilograms, and he finished an uncharacteristic 11th of 16 behind the Lindsey Smith trained Old Comrade, who again defeated Northerly in the Australian Cup in March.
Northerly had shown strong lead-up form to the Australian Cup, including a close second in the C F Orr Stakes over 1,400 metres at Caulfield and victory in the St George Stakes at the same venue a fortnight later, but Old Comrade came with a well-timed run to win the Cup in a boilover. After a tough campaign, with very little rest and stretching from August to March, Fred Kersley decided to give Northerly a good spell in the lead-up to his spring campaign.

Six-year-old season: 2002–2003

After beginning his campaign in an unsuitably short sprint in Perth, Northerly arrived in Melbourne for the Memsie Stakes, but tried to bite one of his rivals, Fields of Omagh, and was unplaced. Backing up a week later, in the Craiglee Stakes, Northerly returned to the winner's circle, and made it three on the trot with wins in the Underwood and Turnbull Stakes. By running in the Turnbull, Kersley opened up the possibility of running Northerly over 2,400 metres for the first time, in the Caulfield Cup.
Well-positioned by Greg Childs in the first five runners, the incredibly slow pace helped Northerly overcome the big weight of 58 kilos. Northerly went to the lead at the 600m mark and held off the fast finishing Fields of Omagh and Republic Lass to win by a neck. Northerly's weight carrying feat eclipsed Sydeston's modern-day record of 57 kilos, while Fields of Omagh won two Cox Plates over the next four years. Northerly started favourite, and the typically fighting win was well received by the crowd on the day. Jockey Greg Childs said "With 58 kilos, the way the race was run, he was always open to be run down by a lighter-weighted horse. I let him stride at the 600 metres which is what Fred wanted. I knew he would be vulnerable to a lighter-weighted horse in the last 50 metres but he just kept going."
The next week the Caulfield Cup winner returned to Moonee Valley and repeated his feat of the previous year in winning the Cox Plate. In a high quality year, Northerly raced past Sunline at the top of the straight, and held off Defier and Grandera, with Fields of Omagh and equal-favourite Lonhro further back. Speaking after his amazing spring, legendary Racing Steward Des Gleeson said that Northerly was "The champion of his era. His Caulfield Cup win was brilliant with the big weight, and he backed up in the Cox Plate and blitzed them. He has a big motor."
Trainer Fred Kersley ruled out running Northerly in the 2002 Melbourne Cup and reasoned that because he would have to carry 60 kilograms over 3,200 metres, and the fact that he possibly might not have stayed the trip, it may have taken too great a toll. In the week leading up to the Cox Plate, the eventual Melbourne Cup winner, Media Puzzle, had burst into calculations by winning the Geelong Cup by more than three lengths, and Northerly would have been conceding 7.5 kilograms to the imported galloper.
After a brilliant spring, Northerly's campaign autumn in 2003 failed to reach the same heights. Wins in the St George Stakes and the Australian Cup were interspersed with defeats in the Orr Stakes and the Victoria Gold Cup, where he was defeated as a long-odds-on favourite by the hitherto unheralded Mr Trickster. In Sydney, Northerly was also odds-on favourite in his three starts, but failed to win. In the Ranvet Stakes, he was run down by Republic Lass; in the Manion Cup, he was unplaced; in The BMW Stakes, Freemason set a course-record pace, and Northerly was unable to run him down, as the two horses dueled over the final 800 metres.
Nonetheless, Northerly was a decisive winner of the Horse of the Year Award.

Seven-year-old season: 2003–2004

In August 2003 swelling was found in his off-foreleg. This revealed a torn tendon, and with it, Northerly's career seemed over.

Eight-year-old season: 2004–2005

Attempting to buck the odds, Northerly returned to the track in August 2004. Months of speculation ended when he galloped and then trialled successfully. A crowd of 30,000 descended on Belmont racecourse in Perth to see his return. Carrying 64.5 kilograms, Northerly was fourth most of the way and got to the lead in sight of the winning post, only to be swamped on the line. After he turned in substandard performances in the Underwood and Turnbull Stakes, Fred Kersley retired him.
Legendary racing writer Les Carlyon wrote of Northerly:
"He fools you every time he races. He has the body language of a loser and a heart as big as the Nullarbor. He invariably looks to be struggling, a shambles of a horse blundering around on memory while his jockey pumps and blusters. Then he gets going. One instant Northerly looks beaten, the next he looks unbeatable. The closer he gets to the post, the harder he tries. He grinds on. And on. And on. He simply refuses to be beaten."
On 9 May 2012 Northerly was euthanised at his breeder's property in Busselton West Australia, following an attack of colic. He was 16 years old.

Course records

Flemington 2,000 m, 1:59.4
Caulfield 1,600 m, 1:35.1

Race record

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
4th11 Nov 20003yo & Up Hcp RestrictedAscotNA1400 m53.5P. Carbery1st – Great Beau
Won30 Nov 20003yo & Up Hcp RestrictedAscotNA1400 m56.5P. Carbery2nd – Echoes
Won23 Dec 2000R J Peters StakesAscotG31500 m52P. Carbery2nd – Special Jester
Won30 Dec 2000Railway StakesAscotG11600 m51D. Miller2nd – Old Comrade
2nd27 Jan 2001Australia Day StakesAscotLR1200 m58P. Carbery1st – Exit Lane
Won17 Feb 2001Clyon CupCaulfieldG21600 m58G. Childs2nd – Oval Office
3rd3 Mar 2001Victoria CupCaulfieldNA2024 m59B. Prebble1st – Greenstone Charm
Won12 Mar 2001Australian CupFlemingtonG12000 m58G. Childs2nd – Hit the Roof

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
Won11 Aug 2001Goodwood SprintBelmontLR1300 m61P. Carbery2nd – Prince of Pop
2nd25 Aug 2001Farnley StakesBelmontLR1400 m62P. Carbery1st – Corporate Bruce
Won15 Sep 2001J F Feehan StakesMoonee ValleyG21600 m58D. Oliver2nd – Sunline
Won23 Sep 2001Underwood StakesCaulfieldG11800 m58D. Oliver2nd – Universal Prince
Won13 Oct 2001Yalumba StakesCaulfieldG12000 m58D. Oliver2nd – Shogun Lodge
Won27 Oct 2001Cox PlateMoonee ValleyG12040 m58D. Oliver2nd – Sunline
11th24 Nov 2001Railway StakesAscotG11600 m61.5D. Oliver1st – Old Comrade
2nd16 Feb 2002C F Orr StakesCaulfieldG11400 m58D. Oliver1st – Barkada
Won2 Mar 2002St George StakesCaulfieldG21800 m58D. Oliver2nd – Old Comrade
2nd11 Mar 2002Australian CupFlemingtonG12000 m58D. Oliver1st – Old Comrade

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
5th17 Aug 2002Goodwood SprintBelmontLR1300 m60P. Carbery1st – Tribula
4th31 Aug 2002Memsie StakesCaulfieldG21410 m58D. Oliver1st – Magical Miss
Won7 Sep 2002Craiglee StakesFlemingtonG21600 m58G. Childs2nd – Le Zagaletta
Won22 Sep 2002Underwood StakesCaulfieldG11800 m58G. Childs2nd – Magical Miss
Won5 Oct 2002Turnbull StakesFlemingtonG22000 m59G. Childs2nd – Dash For Cash
Won19 Oct 2002Caulfield CupCaulfieldG12400 m58G. Childs2nd – Fields of Omagh
Won26 Oct 2002Cox PlateMoonee ValleyG12040 m58P. Payne2nd – Defier
4th8 Feb 2003C F Orr StakesCaulfieldG11400 m58P. Payne1st – Yell
Won22 Feb 2003St George StakesCaulfieldG21800 m58P. Payne2nd – Fields of Omagh
2nd1 Mar 2003Victoria CupCaulfieldLR2020 m60P. Payne1st – Mr Trickster
Won10 Mar 2003Australian CupFlemingtonG12000 m58P. Payne2nd – Natural Blitz
2nd29 Mar 2003Ranvet StakesRosehillG12000 m58P. Payne1st – Republic Lass
6th5 Apr 2003Manion CupRosehillG32400 m61P. Payne1st – Grand City
2nd12 Apr 2003The BMW StakesRosehillG12400 m58P. Payne1st – Freemason

ResultRace
NilNortherly was unraced as a seven-year-old due to a torn tendon

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
4th11 Sep 2004Walter Brooke HcpBelmontNA1600 m64.5P. Carbery1st – Royal Minx
10th19 Sep 2004Underwood StakesCaulfieldG11800 m58P. Carbery1st – Elvstroem
9th2 Oct 2004Turnbull StakesFlemingtonG22000 m59M. Flaherty1st – Elvstroem

Pedigree