Whether you're a novice or an experienced horse lover, you'll be excited about the Northerly Stakes. Presented by the Cascadia Association, this event is one of the best races in Washington State. The $500,000 stakes, run at Golden Gate Fields in Golden Gate City, is open to all ages and is the largest race of its type in the state.
Traditionally, the Flight Stakes has been a drawing card for quality three year old fillies. The race has seen a number of winners, including the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in 2020 and 2021. Several of these winners have come through the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (2000m) and the Group 2 Furious Stakes (2000m).
The Tea Rose Stakes / Flight Stakes double is a popular wager with punters. It is also a good indication of the quality of horses competing in the east and west of the country.
The Flight Stakes is named after the champion mare Flight. It is one of the oldest races in Australia and has seen many good winners. The race has been run over 1400 metres for many years and was a major feature of Ascot's annual racing calendar from 1947 to 2014. It has also been shortened to 1600 metres in the last couple of years.
The Flight Stakes also serves as a good lead-up to the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) which is scheduled for the same day. Several of the top Flight Stakes fillies will face boys in the Spring Champion Stakes. The race is also worth the odometer reading for the winners, with the best winning more than $1.5 million.
The Flight Stakes was not run in 2015. It was rescheduled for safety reasons. The field was reduced from 74 three year old fillies to just eight. This was the smallest field since the race was cancelled in 2006. It was rescheduled to be run on the same day as the Doncaster Mile (1600m) in 2021.
The X-Men may have won the Northerly Stakes, but the Flight Stakes is the real big leagues. The field includes seven of the last nine Flight Stakes winners. The only one under double figures odds is Bustler.
Having won back-to-back Group 2 races in Sydney, Godolphin raider Cascadian is the clear market leader in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. His trainer James Cummings will have the former Cox Plate winner riding in the race.
Cascadian is a versatile eight-year-old gelding who has earned over $5 million in prizemoney for Godolphin. He won the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) and Group 3 Craven Plate (1800m) at Randwick in October.
Cascadian is unbeaten over 1800m and has a 117 rating. He ran a very impressive sectional on a hard track at Flemington on Champions Day. His last start was a fifth-placed finish in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Cascadian will start in barrier 12 in a field of 16. He has won two Group 1 races in his career and is now the outright favourite at $2.80. He will face off against Amelia's Jewel, who is the only three-year-old in the field.
Amelia's Jewel will be the first Western Australian to compete in the Northerly Stakes, but top WA trainers are wary of her credentials. She has won five of her six starts, including a victory in the Group 2 WA Guineas on Railway Stakes Day, but finished second to Bustler two runs back. Her 93 rating indicates that she has a chance to win the race.
The last three Northerly Stakes winners have been three-year-olds. A number of top WA trainers believe Cascadian is a benchmark in this Group 1 race at Ascot on Saturday. However, he will need to improve to have a chance.
Those interested in the $1.5 million Group 1 race, 2022 Northerly Stakes, will need to know what the barrier draw will look like. The draw takes place Tuesday evening.
The barrier draw will take place at the 1800m mark at Ascot racecourse. This is where the three-year-olds will be set to line up in what is the final Group One race of the year in Australia.
The field for the 2023 Northerly Stakes will be announced closer to the race. The final field includes three-year-olds Bustler, Cascadian and Trix of the Trade.
Buster Bash is looking to bounce back from a third in the 1800m race last time out. His last start over 1400m saw him come in midfield. He will enjoy a step up in trip in the Northerly Stakes.
Another three-year-old, Cascadian, has been drawn to jump from barrier 11 of 15. He has been ridden by James McDonald for his last three wins. The galloper has won two Group One races, including the WA Guineas.
A trio of Victorian raiders are also inside the field. Steinem is inside Adam Durrant's Treasured Star and Tuvalu is in the same stable as Lindi Smith's Toorak Handicap winner.
Amelia's Jewel was the early favourite for the Northerly Stakes but she was beaten by Cascadian after the draw. Cascadian is a Godolphin runner who has won two Group One races. He was $3.50 with TAB but he remains the favourite.
The Northerly Stakes will be a race to watch, and it's a great chance to see some of Perth's best stayers in action. It's also a race to bet on, and there are a number of ways to place your wagers. You can place a Win bet, a Trifecta bet, an Each Way bet, or you can hedge with a quinella.
During the past decade, three-year-old fillies have won the Northerly Stakes on three occasions. Horses aged three to five have won four times.
The Northerly Stakes is a weight-for-age race. A horse's age and the distance of the race play a significant role in determining the winner. Typically, horses that have run well in the Northerly Stakes target larger races in Western Australia.
The Northerly Stakes will take place on December 3rd at Ascot Racecourse in Perth. The final field will be announced on December 1st. This year, Northerly Stakes will have a $1.5 million prizemoney pool.
Northerly Stakes is a Group One race that is held at Ascot Racecourse in Perth. This race attracts Perth's top milers. The race is held on a wet track. The Northerly Stakes form guide is available online with Racenet. This guide provides crucial information for punters, including jockeys, speed maps, barriers and sectionals.
Typically, the Northerly Stakes attracts a mix of local and seasonal horses. The race is a weight-for-age event, and often suits horses on the upturn. Horses who run well in the Northerly Stakes often target the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) in November.
The Northerly Stakes attracts Perth's top stayers, as well as top milers. The race also acts as a lead-up race to major Perth events, such as the Gr3 Asian Beau Stakes. The Northerly Stakes form is also important for track and distance records.
Northerly Stakes has been run since 1976. It is part of the Perth Racing Carnival. Northerly has won two Australian Cups and two Cox Plates.
The Northerly Stakes was originally called the Kingston Town Classic. The name was changed ahead of the 2022 race.