A bit more info Paddy, re Northerly's rating in the latest International Classifications.

Top Older Horses 2002

Horse Rating Trainer Country

1. Marienbard 127 Saeed bin Suroor UK
2. Golan 126 Sir Michael Stoute UK
Grandera 126 Saeed bin Suroor UK
Keltos 126 Carlos Laffon-Parias France
5. Azeri 125 Laura de Seroux United States
Nayef 125 Marcus Tregoning UK
Volponi 125 Philip Johnson United States
8. Domedriver 124 Pascal Bary France
Northerly 124 Fred Kersley Australia
Orientate 124 D Wayne Lukas United States
Street Cry 124 Saeed bin Suroor UK



_________________
All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-01-17 19:22 ]

Courtesy of The West Australian website:

RACING Victoria has jumped to the rescue of WA trainer Fred Kersley in a desperate bid to ensure crowd favourite Northerly starts in the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m).

Racing Victoria officials are locked in crucial talks with airline officials to secure a direct flight from Perth to Melbourne, after they were told about Kersley's misgivings with current flight arrangements.

Kersley became disturbed about the flight to Melbourne when he learnt a lack of direct flights had forced Perth trainers to send their horses via Sydney to get to the autumn carnival. Kersley is understandably reluctant to risk Northerly, ranked among the best in the world, by having his $7.89 million stakes earner flown about the country unnecessarily.

The master trainer faces a difficult enough task to have his dual Cox Plate champion ready to run in the Australian Cup (March 10) because of a change in race dates.

"We considered dropping the Australian Cup from his program," Kersley said. "But it is a $1.25 million weight-for-age event and that is hard to ignore.

"I don't really know the answer."

Racing Victoria officials spoke to Kersley last week to try to resolve the transport issue. They have even considered booking the services of international carrier, International Racehorse Transport.

They know too well that Northerly's never-say-die spirit has won the hearts of the nation and he is the ultimate drawcard to their carnival.

"It would be very disappointing not to have Northerly race here," Victoria's racing operations manager Leigh Jordan said.

Kersley's first plan was to kick-off Northerly's campaign in the weight-for-age Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 8.

But the Group 1 event was brought forward a week this year in a reshuffle of programming into the Australian Cup.

Kersley doubts Northerly would be ready to run in the Orr and there is no suitable race in Melbourne on the following week. Northerly has not raced since winning the Cox Plate last October.

Kersley said there was still a 50-50 chance Northerly would make his return at Ascot in the $40,000 Detonator Stakes (1800m) on February 8. He is attracted to the race because it has a maximum top-weight of 60kg.

He has a wide range of options for Northerly, with the $2 million weight-for-age BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day, April 12, and the $3 million Singapore International (2000m) at Kranji on May 17.

Northerly made his debut on the national scene with his record-breaking win in the 2001 Australian Cup. He finished a thrilling second to Old Comrade in the Group 1 event last year.

Paddy, is it true that Fred is considering you for a job in his promotions department? :lol:

_________________
All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-01-26 21:01 ]

Geez Sandgroper, that was suppose to be confidential! Now you’ve done it !
:oops:

Courtesy The West Australian website:

THE possibility of Northerly resuming in the C F Orr Stakes is back on target, with the WA superstar due to make a rare cameo appearance in an Ascot barrier trial on Saturday.

Trainer Fred Kersley said yesterday the 1400m trial would be crucial to Northerly kicking off his Australian Cup campaign in Saturday week's $302,000 Group 1 1400m Caulfield feature.

However, Kersley did not discard the option of Australia's richest racehorse running first-up before a home crowd in the Detonator Stakes (1800m), at Ascot on the same day.

Kersley admitted he still faced a big problem to obtain a direct flight to Melbourne. In recent weeks cargo flights have gone from Perth to Sydney.

He is keen for four to five runners to compete in the trial to provide Northerly with a good first-up hit-out.

Kersley will start stablemate Heavy Nova and another galloper in the trial, but is appealing to other trainers to enter their horses.

WA Turf Club racing manager Greg Carpenter said the trial would be conducted between races five and six. A definite time would be confirmed today.

Railway Stakes-winning jockey Stephen Miller was the No. 1 choice to ride Northerly in the trial.

Courtesy the West Australian website.

WA champion Northerly is likely to fly to Melbourne on Tuesday for tomorrow week's C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Trainer Fred Kersley feared Northerly might miss the Orr because of a disruption to interstate air-cargo services.

The Orr is crucial to Northerly's preparation for the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10, a race the horse won in 2001.

Melbourne horse air-transport agent Chris Calthorpe ended Kersley's fears when he told him of a direct flight to Melbourne on Tuesday morning.

Calthorpe said another flight would leave Perth on Wednesday, carrying leading WA pacers Baltic Eagle and Magic Albert. But he could not guarantee it would go direct to Melbourne and might be diverted to Sydney.

"The flight is available but I haven't locked myself in at this point," Kersley said. "I will wait and see how Northerly trials on Saturday."

Kersley was saved having to choose between riders for the Orr assignment when Greg Childs was booked for Fields Of Omagh in the Group 1 feature. Childs has ridden Northerly six times for six wins.

Kersley said heavyweight jockey Paddy Payne, who won the Cox Plate at his sole outing on the six-year-old, would be given the ride.

The WA Turf Club will stage a 1400m barrier trial for Northerly tomorrow.

The trial field will include Northerly's stablemate Heavy Nova, as well as the Lindsey Smith-trained pair Conspirator and Narcissism. It will be run at 3.50pm.

Courtesy The West Australian website:

FIELDS Of Omagh may head overseas to dodge a clash with WA champion Northerly in the $1.25 million Australian Cup (1800m) on March 10.

The rival camps had earmarked the cup as the prime target of this campaign.

Trainer Fred Kersley has confirmed that his superstar would resume in the $302,000 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, a race also earmarked for Fields Of Omagh.

The pair will also clash at Caulfield in the $201,000 St George Stakes (1800m) on February 22.

But Fields Of Omagh's trainer, Tony McEvoy, is reconsidering a cup start in favour of accepting an invitation - with the Gai Waterhouse-trained Manner Hill - for the international $1 million Singapore Classic (1800m) at Kranji racetrack on March 7.

The classic is seen as a possible dress rehearsal to the $3.1 million Singapore Airline International Cup (2000m) on May 17.

McEvoy is keen to spread his wings overseas. The powerhouse stable flew Northerly's half-brother North Boy to Singapore last May and won the Krisflyer (1200m).

Greg Childs rode North Boy in the Group 3 win and he is back on board Fields Of Omagh in Saturday's Orr Stakes.

McEvoy's racing manager, Mark Pilkington, said the Rubiton five-year-old might follow in North Boy's footsteps.

"It is a very live option," Pilkington said. "If he was to run in Singapore, he would also avoid a clash with Northerly in the Australian Cup.

"The Singapore International is something we are serious about and it would be a good opportunity to test the waters."

Courtesy The West Australian website:

NORTHERLY'S stunning barrier trial at Ascot on Saturday lifted the veil of seriousness - if only for a few seconds - from trainer Fred Kersley.

The champion galloper's stunning win dispelled any lingering doubts over the gelding's fitness. He cruised to a 2¼-length win in 1min. 23.71sec., with pacemaker Narcissism ensuring a fast first 800m by sizzling out in a slick 48.17sec.

Kersley had been a sombre man recently but after the trial he even found time for a moment of light-heartedness.

Jockey Stephen Miller, also in a jovial mood after unsaddling WA's pin-up idol, had a quick shot at Kersley over his superstar, saying: "He is a different horse from the first time I rode him."

Kersley quipped to nearby media: "It's a funny thing, Stephen has never ridden a winner for me, so I thought I'd give him a chance to do it on Northerly.

"The first day he rode him in a race he did say to me, 'I am available to ride him in a Perth Cup, if ever it should happen'.

"It hasn't happened but at least he has now won on him."

Miller's sole ride on Northerly was at his debut when he ran third to Old Habits in a Class Six 1500m handicap at Ascot on March 29, 2000.

Kersley, who finds media interviews much harder than training winners, confirmed that Northerly's trial performance was impressive enough to ensure a run in Saturday's C F Orr Stakes.

"His time was very good and he did it well," Kersley said. "He surprised us a little on being so forward in his preparation because he didn't indicate that in his training.

"Before the trial I was reluctant to go into the Orr Stakes because I thought he wasn't forward enough. But by the way he went today, he is not far away."

Northerly put all other performances in the shade last spring with his amazing winning spree that included successive wins in the Cox Plate and his first Caulfield Cup.

Kersley's prime Melbourne target this campaign is the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.

Another update courtesy The West Australian website:

CHAMPION Northerly arrived to a hot reception in Melbourne yesterday afternoon.

Trainer Fred Kersley said the temperatures were in the high-30's, but Australia's richest racehorse had taken the trip and the heat in his stride.

"He knows the routine now," Kersley said. "The heat won't worry him."

"The three-hour time difference is the biggest thing to beat."

"His feeding and work routine are all thrown out of their timing."

Then why change it Fred, just to accomodate trackwork jockeys?
I'm sure you'd find most jockeys would jump at the chance just to ride Northerly in trackwork no matter what time of day it was.

Most people don't realise that the only reason horses are worked at around 4am in the morning, is because of trainer and jockey raceday committments.

I often make it a habit when travelling different timezones NOT to adjust my watch.
Why get jetlag unless it's absolutely necessary.

Nice run by Northerly today, was not disgraced.

_________________
All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-02-09 02:38 ]

Couldn’t agree with you more Perth Placegetter.

Read somewhere that Northerly pleased connections with his run into 4th place and they admitted they had not expected him to win.


I thought it was a top run, conceding his rivals a substantial start in the middle stages but finishing on strongly to wind up only 1.5 lengths from the winner.

Looking forward to the return clash with Fields Of Omagh in the St George Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield in a fortnight and then in the $1.25 million Australian Cup 2000m at Flemington on March 10.

Courtesy The West Australian website:


Trainer Fred Kersley has stepped up champion galloper Northerly's trackwork and the horse should be close to his best for tomorrow week's $200,000 St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

The $7.8 million stakes earner ran an impressive first-up fourth for jockey Patrick Payne in last Saturday's $300,000 weight-for-age C F Orr Stakes (1400m), won by Yell.

"Northerly is now doing quite a lot of work," Kersley said yesterday. "He's had a solid gallop this week and will do another relatively hard work-out on Saturday morning.

"The horse has now settled back into Melbourne's environment. He is doing well and everything is going ahead on target.

"There is no need for gear changes and Patrick Payne will continue to ride him."

Northerly is expected to hit peak form in the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.

He is scheduled to have his first Sydney race, in the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 29. His main Sydney mission is the $2 million BMW (2400m), at Randwick on April 12. Northerly is also likely to be entered for the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on May 3.

South-East Asian racing officials have asked Kersley to take Northerly to Singapore for the $3 million International Cup (2000m) on May 17.

Reported in the press over here that Northerly worked in brilliant fashion last Saturday morning. With Patrick Payne on top, apparently he sprinted the final 400m in particularly good time.

Northerly will contest Saturday's $200,000 weight-for-age St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

He is nominal favourite for the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.

Northerly will have his first Sydney start in the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 29 and then the $2 million BMW (2400m) two weeks later.

He is also expected to run in the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on May 3.

Connections still to decide whether to take Northerly to Singapore for the $3 million Airline International Cup (2000m), in mid May.

_________________
All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-02-17 17:39 ]

Only three nominations for the Group 2 St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday. :eek:


Northerly, Fields Of Omagh and Don Eduardo were the only entries for the race which carries $200,000 prize money.

Nominations have been extended.

Melbourne Racing Club racing manager John Faulkner said despite the small entry, the St George would be run on Saturday.