Courtesy of The West Australian website:

A reshuffle of feature race dates on the Victorian autumn calendar has thrown Australian Cup plans for WA superstar Northerly into disarray.

Trainer Fred Kersley was anticipating using the same formula as last year, giving his champion his two Australian Cup lead-up starts in the Orr Stakes (1400m) and St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, before going into the $1.25 million feature event at Flemington on March 10.

Kersley was then going to leap from the Australian Cup into his maiden Sydney foray and run the horse in the $2 million The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 12.

But the Melbourne Racing Club's decision to bring forward the dates for the Orr Stakes and St George Stakes by eight days and put back the Futurity Stakes (1400m) by seven days has put a spanner in the works.

Kersley yesterday cast grave doubt on whether Northerly would be ready to run in the Orr Stakes on February 8.

He also was unhappy about having to go back 400m with the horse, if he was to run in the St George and Futurity Stakes.

"The program is terrible for me," Kersley said. "By changing the program they have bowled a wrong'un.

"I don't know quite how to handle it.

"It used to be good because weight-for-age horses could run from 1400m to 1800m into 2000m.

"The program now reads for weight-for-age horses, 1400m, 1800m, 1400m and 2000m.

"Somehow I have to work within those parameters and at the minute the logic is escaping me.

"But I am going to have to deal with it."

Kersley will examine the Victorian calendar more closely over the next few weeks in a bid to find an alternative program.

Northerly, Australasia's undisputed weight-for-age king, enhanced the glory of his 2001 Melbourne spring by winning the Craiglee, Underwood and Turnbull Stakes, as well as the Caulfield Cup and a second Cox Plate last year.

Northerly began his express trip to world fame with record-breaking wins in the Carlyon and Australian cups two years ago.

The Serheed gelding was narrowly beaten by WA adversary Old Comrade in the Australian Cup last year.

Kersley said he had not set a date for Northerly's departure east nor was he in a rush to confirm a rider for the $7.8 million stakes earner.

"Patrick Payne has drawn favour because he won on him at his last start," the trainer said. "Damien Oliver and Greg Childs have excellent records on the horse. But I don't want to get caught naming a rider this far out because a lot can happen."

Payne rode Northerly for the first time when he won the Cox Plate last October. Childs has an excellent record of six rides for six wins and Oliver has eight rides for five wins and two seconds.

__________________
Ta me go maith