Courtesy The West Australian website:

The Goodwood Sprint at Belmont Park will become a weight-for-age event, boosting the prospects of champion Northerly starting first-up in Perth before tackling the Melbourne spring carnival.

The $9.3 million stake earner, a winner of 19 Victorian and WA races for trainer Fred Kersley, will be allotted 58kg if nominated for the 1300m Goodwood on August 16.

WA Turf Club racing manager Greg Carpenter said yesterday the Goodwood, which Northerly has contested twice, would change from being a handicap.

Northerly had 61kg when he won the race first-up in 2001 and finished a close fifth in it last year, carrying 60kg. A 1300m race in mid-August has been an ideal launching pad for his Cox Plate campaigns.

"Not only will Northerly be suited by a weight-for-age race on August 16," Carpenter said, "it will also fit well into programs for top local sprinters aimed at the Hannans Handicap four weeks later."

Kersley said Northerly, who resumed training a fortnight ago, would again target the $3 million Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in October. He has won the weight-for-age championship twice and is poised to match the great Kingston Town's Cox hat-trick scored 20 years ago.

Northerly is at his devastating best in Melbourne spring carnivals. He won the Feehan, Underwood and Yalumba stakes leading up to his 2001 Cox victory.

Last year, he scored Craiglee, Underwood and Turnbull stakes wins, then triumphed in the Caulfield Cup a week before his second straight Cox success.

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Ta me go maith

Courtesy The West Australian website:

Leading Melbourne doubles bookmaker Michael Eskander has advised punters to get in early on Northerly to win his third Cox Plate with the WA superstar already the focus of strong support - four months before the big event.

Eskander said punters were backing Northerly at an astounding rate in doubles bets. "Every second bet we take is on Northerly," he said.

The support has forced Eskander to firm the horse from $7 to $6 for the Cox.

"Punters won't be getting anything like these odds by the time of the race," said Eskander assessor Ken Goodwill. "Northerly is the hottest horse in betting for the spring."

Goodwill said one punter had taken a Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double coupling Lonhro and Pillage 'N' Plunder to win $250,000 this week.

Lonhro is second favourite at $7 in the Cox.

Connections of Kiwi stayer Pillage 'N' Plunder backed the gelding heavily in pre-post markets before his emphatic win in last month's Adelaide Cup (3200m).

Punters have also rallied behind Sydney filly Private Steer in Cox betting, backing her from $31 into $15, after her brilliant win in last Saturday week's $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

Meanwhile, trainer Fred Kersley said yesterday he was weighing up a first start for Northerly - either in the $201,000 Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 23 or in the Goodwood Sprint (1300m) at Belmont Park a week earlier.

"Both races fit into the general time frame of when Northerly would be having his first start," he said. "The Liston carries bigger prize money and the extra 100m might be better for the horse. It all depends on how he is at that point."

Northerly has been back in work at Kersley's training establishment for the past three weeks.

He is hot favourite to take out the Australian Horse of the Year award, which will be announced in Melbourne on July 3. Placid Ark is the only WA horse to have won the award - in 1986-87.


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May the luck of the Irish be with you!



[ This Message was edited by: Paddy on 2003-06-20 11:30 ]

Rumour around that Paul Harvey may ride Northerly in his next campaign in the east.

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Ta me go maith

Might be more than a rumour Paddy.

In the last seven weeks Harvey has had 14 city rides for Kersley - for eight wins, one second and two thirds.

According to this morning's press Harvey, who is about to take a five week break, admitted yesterday that if Kersley asked him to ride Northerly, his answer would be an emphatic: "Yes."


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All the best from the West

Sandgroper :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: Sandgroper on 2003-06-23 15:59 ]

I would have thought that a Melbourne jockey who knows the tracks backwards would be a better option.What has one Greg Childs done wrong on the horse?Hasn't he got a perfect record on the horse?He just seems to me to have a "Sunline"type of affinity with this horse.Not casting any aspersions on the unquestionable talent of Paul Harvey,but I cannot remember him ever riding in Melbourne,thus he will be at a distinct disadvantage among the top jocks with "local"knowledge.My opinion only,but if he was mine I know who I would be legging up.Also(my opinion only)don't think $6 is any value 4 months out.A lot of things can and do go wrong,as we all know.

a p j harvey rode old comrade when he won the australian cup (beat a horse named northerly)

Well put topsy99. I also think the same P J Harvey had some success in Melbourne on a horse called Willoughby :wink:

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Ta me go maith

Topsy99&Paddy,humble apologies for lack of memory of P.Harvey riding winners in Melbourne.You guys are obviously big fans of his,but as I stated in my post,I am not IN ANY WAY questioning his ability.I think he is a great rider,but I also think Greg Childs is too.Again,my memory may fail me,but hasn't G Childs won 4 out of 4 on Northerly?Has Harvey ever ridden Northerly before?If so,what was the result?My point is,would it not be more viable to put a jockey that knows the horse on board,as opposed to one who doesn't?Paddy Payne is a great rider too,but what is his win/loss ratio on the horse?I guess only time will tell.Again,sorry if I put any noses out of joint.

i recall the race specifically because i thought harvey outrode damien oliver who was on northerly.
he got a sit on northerly and finished over the top.

sorry didnt intend to be picking faults with comments on p j harvey riding in melbourne.
our forum mustn't get too jumpy with each other.

I agree angel childs should have been put back on straight after the cox plate. Payne
rode a teriffic race in the cox plate however he cost Northerly victory first up in the c.f orr stakes(won by yell NOrtherly settled last and ran the fastest last 600 of the race) and then again in the manion cup and then again in the bmw. i think he was beaten fair and square by republic lass in the ranvet. Childs had to ride sunline in the
cox then should have been put back on. Seems the connections have forgotten his perfect record of 7/7 on the champ.