Northerly is one of the greatest racehorses to grace the Australian turf and arguably the best to have come out of Western Australia.
"The Fighting Tiger" captured the imagination of West Australia and proved himself a champion against some of the best going round.
Highlights of his stellar career include two Australian Cups, two consecutive W.S Cox Plates, the second after doing the impossible and backing up after a gut-wrenching Caulfield Cup win, and total domination of the 2001 and 2002 Melbourne spring carnivals.
Northerly was 2002 - 2003 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year.
He had 37 starts for 19 victories, seven seconds and two thirds winning stakes of $9,341,850. He contested 16 Group One races winning nine and finishing second four times, also winning five Group Two events.
As a four year-old in 2001 Northerly set course records at Flemington over 2000m, recording 1.59.4 in the Group One Australian Cup and at Caulfield over 1600m, recording 1.35.1 in the Group Two Carlyon Cup.
It was the calibre of the horses that Northerly met and defeated such as Sunline and Fields of Omagh that best illustrated his true ability. For instance, it was Northerly's defeat of Sunline in the 2001 Feehan Stakes that signalled what a remarkable galloper he was.
In fact he took on the champion mare at Moonee Valley three times and beat the two-time Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year and record stakemoney winner on each occasion.
Damien Oliver who rode Northerly to five wins said it was his will to win that he would remember most. "He was never beaten. Most horses can sustain a run for a furlong and a half (300m), he just kept going. He broke their hearts."
Principal Wins
3yo season
Aquanita Stakes Ascot 1400m
4yo season
RJ Peters Stakes Group 3 Ascot 1500m
Railway Stakes Group I Ascot 1600m
Carlyon Stakes Group 2 Caul 1600m
Australian Cup Group I Flem 2000m
5yo season
Goodwood Stakes Listed Belmont 1300m
Feehan Stakes Group 2 MV 1600m
Underwood Stakes Group 1 Caul 1800m
Yalumba Stakes Group I Caul 2000m
W.S Cox Plate Group I MV 2040
St George Stakes Group 1 Caul 1800m
6yo season
Craiglee Stakes Group 2 Flem 1600m
Underwood Stakes Group I Caul 1800m
Turnbull Stakes Group I Flem 2000m
Caulfield Cup Group I Caul 2400m
W.S Cox Plate Group I Caul 2040m
St George Stakes Group 2 Caul 1800m
Australian Cup Group 1 Flem 2000m