Courtesy aapracingandsports

Thursday, 31 October 2002: The option of giving champion gelding Northerly another race in Perth before a spell has been kept open by trainer Fred Kersley.

Kersley, conscious of what Northerly means to Perth racing, has nominated the five-year-old for the $300,000 Fruit’N’ Veg Stakes at Ascot on December 7.

Kersley is still in Melbourne but Northerly arrived back at his Perth stable in Wednesday night.

The Fruit ‘N’ Veg is the feature weight-for-age event of the Perth summer carnival but has attracted only nine interstate nominations.

The WATC would be desperate to see Northerly start at Ascot but it is almost certain he will be in the spelling paddock when the race is run.

Part-owner Neville Duncan told Perth media the chances of Northerly staying in work were remote.

"I guess Fred put him in the race just in case," Duncan said.

Kersley kept faith with the Perth public last year after Northerly won his first Cox Plate by running him in the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot a month after his Moonee Valley victory.

However he was obviously a tired horse after his spring campaign and could finish only 11th carrying 61.5kg under the handicap conditions.

There is much more at stake for Northerly this season as he is expected to be set for overseas assignments next autumn and will have little time to spell should he be kept in work for the Fruit ‘N’ Veg Stakes.

Northerly was not entered for this year’s $500,000 Railway Stakes, to be run at Ascot on November 23.

The notable eastern states entries for the Railway Stakes are Umrum, Weasel Will, El Nino, Court Of Jewels, Kabila Sheraton, Paris Heartbeat.

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