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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Ta me go maith

Courtesy The West Australian website:

WA racing star Northerly shifts up a gear in his preparation for a third assault on the Melbourne autumn carnival when he returns to Belmont Park trackwork tomorrow.

Trainer Fred Kersley plans for Northerly to have his third start in the Australian Cup (2000m) in mid-March before heading to Sydney for the $2 million BMW (2000m) at Rosehill on April 12.

Northerly won the Australian Cup in record time in 2001 before going down narrowly to Old Comrade in the Group 1 feature last year.

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Courtesy The West Australian website:

CHAMPION galloper Northerly bounced back into Belmont Park trackwork at the weekend and his trainer Fred Kersley had a disheartening message for connections of prospective challengers.

"He looks to have come back better than ever," said Kersley, watching the $7.8 million stake earner exercise over two laps for training circuit rider Cherie Hough on Saturday.

The master trainer added sound reasoning to one of horse racing's most common cliches.

"Northerly has recently undergone a distinct change of body shape," Kersley said. "I could see it beginning last spring. As a six-year-old, it seems he has only now reached full maturity."

The powerful bay, spelled after brilliant wins in the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup and $3 million Cox Plate in Melbourne last October, made his first racecourse appearance for two months on Saturday morning.

Kersley was delighted by what he saw on and off the course.

In a tranquil pre-dawn atmosphere, Northerly exhibited a playful and child-like side of his character. Kersley walked towards the grandstand while Northerly went on to the track.

As soon as he thought his trainer was out of sight, the champion whipped around, cantered back through the course gate and headed towards his stall.

Expert horsewoman Hough asserted authority and Northerly was quickly out on the grass again, getting down to the business of being a star. "He's full of himself and wanting to be the boss," Kersley said.

"It's a very good sign."

Northerly's autumn program includes the $200,000 St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 22 and the $1.25 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.

Then he will make his first Sydney visit, for the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 29 and the $2 million BMW (2400m) two weeks later.

Kersley said Northerly could make his overseas debut in the $3.1 million Singapore Airline International Cup (2000m) on May 17.

"We're not yet certain of which race he will contest when starting first-up next month," Kersley said.


Australasian racing handicappers showed no uncertainty when they announced official ratings at the weekend for horses competing between August 1 and December 31.

Northerly, with a 124 rating, was clearly the best among gallopers aged four and upwards.

Other top gallopers' ratings were Defier 119, Lonhro 117, Rubitano and Sunline both 116.

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Ta me go maith

Paddy, any truth in the rumour that you are the new the president of the Northerly fan club - Irish chapter? :smile:

Listening to a recent interview with Fred Kersley, he was certainly oozing with confidence, stated that Northerly had only put on 10kg during his break, so would expect Northerly to be firing on all 8 cylinders from the outset of his next campaign.

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All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-01-06 13:53 ]

Since when do horses have 8 cylinders??? Do all of them have 8 or do some only have 4 or 6? And can you fit a turbocharger to the 4 cylinder ones to make them more competitive with the 8's? Do Italian horses have 10 or 12?

:grin:

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"Computers can do that????" - Homer Simpson

Aaaah this brings up an interesting topic!

Many horses promising "good things" on the track are tipped to have eight cylinders, but the trainers need to change the spark plugs, as there is a misfire!

Or were they only 4 cylinders to begin with and once they step up to V8 touring car class come unstuck because it wasn't the driver (jockey) who messed up, but the pit crew (trainer) over rated the capacity of the engine and as such should only be racing in class B Winton raceway races not Group or Listed Bathurst races?

A timely analogy.
:wink:

Nice one Sandgroper - you've let the cat out of the bag! :roll:

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Courtesy The West Australian website:

A SHARE in one of Australasia's most sought-after foals, a half-brother to WA thoroughbred champion Northerly, has been taken by a WA partnership.

Northerly part-owners Ron Sayers, Tony Patrizi and Peter Bartlett ended months of speculation when they signed on a deal to trade their share in Northerly's future earnings for a half share of the Flying Spur colt.

The colt was bred and is owned by Rod Dufficy, brother to former jockey and Sydney racing commentator Ron Dufficy, and Andrew Harcourt.

The foal's other half-brothers include stakes winners North Boy and Northern Song. Northerly is the nation's top stakes-earner with $7.8 million.

The colt was orphaned when his dam North Bell died as a result of complications during the birth.

The WA syndicate reached agreement in principle on the deal on the morning of Northerly's historic Caulfield Cup win on October 19.

Sayers, Patrizi and Bartlett have a quarter share in Northerly. The other part-owners are managing owner Judy Kersley, wife of trainer Fred Kersley, and the gelding's breeders Neville and Sue Duncan. Ian Grljusich is a minor partner.

Sayers said yesterday Dufficy and Harcourt would receive 10 per cent of the three partners' share of Northerly's future prize money but would have no say in the champion's programming.

Sayers visited the colt at Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley yesterday on his way back to Perth after buying three fillies at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale last week.

"It might be wishful thinking but to me he looks exactly like Northerly," said Sayers, who owns Yarradale Stud at Gidgegannup.

Dufficy said yesterday the colt, who weighed a whopping 72kg at birth, was perfect.

"He is a real cracker. He was born late and his birth was induced by the vets," he said. "He was born overly big, which is not normally a good sign because they can be too big and bulky.

"But from a month or two after he was born he developed magnificently. He is now a really good, normal-sized horse, who is impossible to fault.

"The guy who looks after him, Brian Gorman, is a pretty good judge and he reckons he can't fault him.

"He is very unlike his brothers and sisters, who had faults."

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Ta me go maith

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.

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Ta me go maith

Courtesy The West Australian website:

WA racing idol Northerly is Australasia's highest rated horse for 2002.

Northerly finished as one of the world's highest ranked horses with an international classification rating of 124 - up from the 122 he scored the previous year.

Irish champion three-year-old Rock Of Gibraltar was the world's No. 1 on 128, ahead the Godolphin-owned Marienbard (127), who won at Group 1 level in Germany before his success in the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Rock Of Gibraltar received his rating for breaking the long-standing record of Mill Reef by winning seven straight Group 1 events.

Godolphin's Grandera, who finished third to Northerly in the Cox Plate, received 126 rating for his five-length win over Indian Creek in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Northerly won three times at Group 1 level last year - in the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Underwood Stakes.

The Serheed gelding's rating of 124 matched that of Might And Power, who held the previous record high in 1998 - which was the first time the system was applied to Australian and New Zealand horses.

Trainer Fred Kersley was humble yesterday when told of Northerly's great achievement.

"I am flattered for the horse," he said.

Defier, runner-up in the Cox Plate, was Australasia's second-highest rated horse on 120, just shading Sunline, who finished her last year on the track with 119.

Australian Cup champion Old Comrade was rated on 114 to finish equal seventh, with Universal Prince and Show A Heart.

A total of 28 Australian and NZ horses made the international listing.

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Ta me go maith