- Northerly
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Northerly 
With jockey Mark Flaherty, 2004 Turnbull Stakes.Sire Serheed (USA) Grandsire Nijinsky II Dam North Bell Damsire Bellewater (FR) Sex Gelding Foaled 17 October 1996 Country Australia Colour Bay Breeder Oakland Park Stud Owner Mr & Mrs N.G. Duncan
& Mrs J KersleyTrainer Fred Kersley Record 37: 19-7-2 Earnings A$9,341,850 Major wins Australian Cup (2001,2003)
Cox Plate (2001,2002)
Underwood Stakes (2001,2002)
Caulfield Cup (2002)
Yalumba Stakes (2001)
Railway Stakes (2000)Awards Australian Middle Distance Champion (2002, 2003)
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year (2003)
Timeform rating: 129Horse (Equus ferus caballus) Last updated on 5 March 2007 Northerly, foaled in 1996, was 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 (G1) races, including the Australian Cup twice, and the Cox Plate, regarded as the Weight for Age championship of Australasia, also on two occasions.
This bay gelding was bred by Oakland Park Stud, Western Australia and was sired by Serheed (USA) from North Bell by Bellewater (FR). Serheed was the sire of 27 stakeswinners that had 84 stakeswins, mostly in Western Australia with Northerly being his best perfomer. 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.[1] Northerly was inbred to Northern Dancer in the third, fourth and fifth generation (3m x 4f x 5f).[2]
Contents
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 (9 st 4 lbs), 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 (Sunline) against first (Northerly) and third (Viscount) 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[3] 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, and sprint to victory from Fields Of Omagh and Republic Lass, while Freemason, who had led into the straight, faded to finish a close fifth. Northerly's weight carrying feat eclipsed Sydeston's modern day record of 57 kilos (set in 1990), 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 (fourth) 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 (by four lengths) 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 (both of which he had won in previous campaigns), 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."
Course records
Flemington 2,000 m, 1:59.4 (Australian Cup 2001) (This race and track record was broken in 2005 by Makybe Diva.)
Caulfield 1,600 m, 1:35.1 (Carlyon Cup 2001)
Race record
1999-00 Season as a Three Year Old Result Date Race Venue Group Distance Weight (kg) Jockey Winner/2nd 3rd 29 Mar 2000 3yo Hcp Restricted Ascot NA 1500 m 53.5 S. Miller 1st - Old Habits Won 08 Apr 2000 Aquanita Stakes Ascot LR 1400 m 52 P. Carbery 2nd - Mr Callahan 2000-01 Season as a Four Year Old Result Date Race Venue Group Distance Weight (kg) Jockey Winner/2nd 4th 11 Nov 2000 3yo & Up Hcp Restricted Ascot NA 1400 m 53.5 P. Carbery 1st - Great Beau Won 30 Nov 2000 3yo & Up Hcp Restricted Ascot NA 1400 m 56.5 P. Carbery 2nd - Echoes Won 23 Dec 2000 R J Peters Stakes Ascot G3 1500 m 52 P. Carbery 2nd - Special Jester Won 30 Dec 2000 Railway Stakes Ascot G1 1600 m 51 D. Miller 2nd - Old Comrade 2nd 27 Jan 2001 Australia Day Stakes Ascot LR 1200 m 58 P. Carbery 1st - Exit Lane Won 17 Feb 2001 Clyon Cup Caulfield G2 1600 m 58 G. Childs 2nd - Oval Office 3rd 03 Mar 2001 Victoria Cup Caulfield NA 2024 m 59 B. Prebble 1st - Greenstone Charm Won 12 Mar 2001 Australia Cup Flemington G1 2000 m 58 G. Childs 2nd - Hit the Roof 2001-02 Season as a Five Year Old Result Date Race Venue Group Distance Weight (kg) Jockey Winner/2nd Won 11 Aug 2001 Goodwood Sprint Belmont LR 1300 m 61 P. Carbery 2nd - Prince of Pop 2nd 25 Aug 2001 Farnley Stakes Belmont LR 1400 m 62 P. Carbery 1st - Corporate Bruce Won 15 Sep 2001 J F Feehan Stakes Moonee Valley G2 1600 m 58 D. Oliver 2nd - Sunline Won 23 Sep 2001 Underwood Stakes Caulfield G1 1800 m 58 D. Oliver 2nd - Universal Prince Won 13 Oct 2001 Yalumba Stakes Caulfield G1 2000 m 58 D. Oliver 2nd - Shogun Lodge Won 27 Oct 2001 Cox Plate Moonee Valley G1 2040 m 58 D. Oliver 2nd - Sunline 11th 24 Nov 2001 Railway Stakes Ascot G1 1600 m 61.5 D. Oliver 1st - Old Comrade 2nd 16 Feb 2002 C F Orr Stakes Caulfield G1 1400 m 58 D. Oliver 1st - Barkada Won 02 Mar 2002 St George Stakes Caulfield G2 1800 m 58 D. Oliver 2nd - Old Comrade 2nd 11 Mar 2002 Australia Cup Flemington G1 2000 m 58 D. Oliver 1st - Old Comrade 2002-03 Season as a Six Year Old Result Date Race Venue Group Distance Weight (kg) Jockey Winner/2nd 5th 17 Aug 2002 Goodwood Sprint Belmont LR 1300 m 60 P. Carbery 1st - Tribula 4th 31 Aug 2002 Memsie Stakes Caulfield G2 1410 m 58 D. Oliver 1st - Magical Miss Won 07 Sep 2002 Craiglee Stakes Flemington G2 1600 m 58 G. Childs 2nd - Le Zagaletta Won 22 Sep 2002 Underwood Stakes Caulfield G1 1800 m 58 G. Childs 2nd - Magical Miss Won 05 Oct 2002 Turnbull Stakes Flemington G2 2000 m 59 G. Childs 2nd - Dash For Cash Won 19 Oct 2002 Caulfield Cup Caulfield G1 2400 m 58 G. Childs 2nd - Fields Of Omagh Won 26 Oct 2002 Cox Plate Moonee Valley G1 2040 m 58 P. Payne 2nd - Defier 4th 08 Feb 2003 C F Orr Stakes Caulfield G1 1400 m 58 P. Payne 1st - Yell Won 22 Feb 2003 St George Stakes Caulfield G2 1800 m 58 P. Payne 2nd - Fields Of Omagh 2nd 01 Mar 2003 Victoria Cup Caulfield LR 2020 m 60 P. Payne 1st - Mr Trickster Won 10 Mar 2003 Australia Cup Flemington G1 2000 m 58 P. Payne 2nd - Natural Blitz 2nd 29 Mar 2003 Ranvet Stakes Rosehill G1 2000 m 58 P. Payne 1st - Republic Lass 6th 05 Apr 2003 Manion Cup Rosehill G3 2400 m 61 P. Payne 1st - Grand City 2nd 12 Apr 2003 The BMW Stakes Rosehill G1 2400 m 58 P. Payne 1st - Freemason 2003-04 Season as a Seven Year Old Result Race Nil Northerly was unraced as a seven year old due to a torn tendon 2004-05 Season as a Eight Year Old Result Date Race Venue Group Distance Weight (kg) Jockey Winner/2nd 4th 11 Sep 2004 Walter Brooke Hcp Belmont NA 1600 m 64.5 P. Carbery 1st - Royal Minx 10th 19 Sep 2004 Underwood Stakes Caulfield G1 1800 m 58 P. Carbery 1st - Elvstroem 9th 02 Oct 2004 Turnbull Stakes Flemington G2 2000 m 59 M. Flaherty 1st - Elvstroem Pedigree
Pedigree of Northerly (Aus) Sire
Serheed (USA)
1980Nijinsky (Can)
1967Northern Dancer (Can)
1961Nearctic (Can) Natalma (USA) Flaming Page (Can)
1959Bull Page (USA) Flaring Top (USA) Native Partner (USA)
1966Raise a Native (USA)
1961Native Dancer (USA) Raise You (USA) Dinner Partner (USA)
1959Tom Fool (USA) Bluehaze (USA) Dam
North Bell (Aus)
1988Bellwater (Fr)
1982Bellypha (Ire)
1976Lyphard (USA) Belga (Fr) Paddle (Fr)
1975Jim French (USA) Pram (Fr) North Fleur (Can)
1981Far North (Can)
1973Northern Dancer (Can) Fleur (Can) Yoka (USA)
1976Triple Band (USA) Royal Hula (USA) (Family: No.9) See also
Millionaire Racehorses in Australia
References
- ^ "North Bell". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. http://www.studbook.org.au/horse.aspx?hid=437699&pagetype=MARENPROD. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
- ^ 2002 St George Stakes result
External links
Categories:- 1996 racehorse births
- Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
- Cox Plate winners
- Northern Dancer bloodline
- Racehorses bred in Australia
- Sport in Western Australia
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