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.

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