imaufo
19-08-2002, 17:34
Northerly may take on world
By ANDREW EDDY
Wednesday 30 January 2002
World-beaters? Trainer Fred Kersley and Northerly.
Cox Plate winner Northerly is a step closer to representing Australia in the the richest race in the world after trainer Fred Kersley accepted an invitation for the Dubai World Cup in March.
Kersley and his wife Judith returned from a fact-finding trip to Dubai earlier this week and Kersley said yesterday that the likelihood of the five-year-old competing in the Dubai World Cup, worth about $11 million, had grown despite concerns about the horse's readiness for the trip.
"We have accepted the invitation but he won't be going unless he is 100 per cent right and has shown he has totally recaptured his best form," Kersley said.
He is also yet to decide whether the horse would tackle the World Cup on dirt or the Dubai Duty Free on grass, the race in which Sunline ran third last year.
Kersley said Northerly would make the long trip to Dubai only if he was convinced the horse's form and health warranted the long trip.
He said he had some doubts as to whether that would be possible, given the limited time the horse had before the March 23 races.
The trainer said he would learn more about Northerly's condition when he gallops between races at Western Australian country course Pinjarra today.
Initially, Kersley had planned to start Northerly's autumn campaign in the group one Orr Stakes over 1400 metres at Caulfield on February 16, but he now fears time will beat him.
"We'll be struggling to be right for that, but we'll leave it open as an option as there is not much room to move with the programming," he said.
If Kersley waited another two weeks and booted Northerly off on March 2, he would have another headache. He could run first-up in the 1800-metre group two St George Stakes or the group one Futurity Stakes over 1400 metres - but neither option excites him.
"Obviously, 1800 metres first-up may not be ideal and if he runs in the Futurity, then he must jump up to 2000 metres just nine days later in the Australian Cup," Kersley said.
In the six years since its inception, Australia has had only two runners in the Dubai World Cup.
The Bob Thomsen-trained Danewin ran in the inaugural race in 1996 but finished a well-beaten 10th of 11 runners behind the amazing American galloper Cigar. Gai Waterhouse's Juggler made the long trip the following year and ran sixth of 12.
Meanwhile, leading Sydney jockeys Len Beasley and Jim Cassidy have been in the wars over the past few days, but while Cassidy expects to be riding again this weekend after a trackwork mishap, Beasley is likely to miss the autumn carnival.
Beasley, the rider of boom three-year-old Viking Ruler, fell from Aromatherapy at Randwick on Monday, injuring a shoulder. His specialist yesterday confirmed he had again broken his collarbone and would be out of action for at least five weeks.
Cassidy took a tumble from speedster Ateates at Warwick Farm trackwork yesterday but escaped serious injury and should return to riding this weekend.
ONE of racing's most improved gallopers, Fields Of Omagh, will miss the autumn after straining a suspensory ligament yesterday.
By ANDREW EDDY
Wednesday 30 January 2002
World-beaters? Trainer Fred Kersley and Northerly.
Cox Plate winner Northerly is a step closer to representing Australia in the the richest race in the world after trainer Fred Kersley accepted an invitation for the Dubai World Cup in March.
Kersley and his wife Judith returned from a fact-finding trip to Dubai earlier this week and Kersley said yesterday that the likelihood of the five-year-old competing in the Dubai World Cup, worth about $11 million, had grown despite concerns about the horse's readiness for the trip.
"We have accepted the invitation but he won't be going unless he is 100 per cent right and has shown he has totally recaptured his best form," Kersley said.
He is also yet to decide whether the horse would tackle the World Cup on dirt or the Dubai Duty Free on grass, the race in which Sunline ran third last year.
Kersley said Northerly would make the long trip to Dubai only if he was convinced the horse's form and health warranted the long trip.
He said he had some doubts as to whether that would be possible, given the limited time the horse had before the March 23 races.
The trainer said he would learn more about Northerly's condition when he gallops between races at Western Australian country course Pinjarra today.
Initially, Kersley had planned to start Northerly's autumn campaign in the group one Orr Stakes over 1400 metres at Caulfield on February 16, but he now fears time will beat him.
"We'll be struggling to be right for that, but we'll leave it open as an option as there is not much room to move with the programming," he said.
If Kersley waited another two weeks and booted Northerly off on March 2, he would have another headache. He could run first-up in the 1800-metre group two St George Stakes or the group one Futurity Stakes over 1400 metres - but neither option excites him.
"Obviously, 1800 metres first-up may not be ideal and if he runs in the Futurity, then he must jump up to 2000 metres just nine days later in the Australian Cup," Kersley said.
In the six years since its inception, Australia has had only two runners in the Dubai World Cup.
The Bob Thomsen-trained Danewin ran in the inaugural race in 1996 but finished a well-beaten 10th of 11 runners behind the amazing American galloper Cigar. Gai Waterhouse's Juggler made the long trip the following year and ran sixth of 12.
Meanwhile, leading Sydney jockeys Len Beasley and Jim Cassidy have been in the wars over the past few days, but while Cassidy expects to be riding again this weekend after a trackwork mishap, Beasley is likely to miss the autumn carnival.
Beasley, the rider of boom three-year-old Viking Ruler, fell from Aromatherapy at Randwick on Monday, injuring a shoulder. His specialist yesterday confirmed he had again broken his collarbone and would be out of action for at least five weeks.
Cassidy took a tumble from speedster Ateates at Warwick Farm trackwork yesterday but escaped serious injury and should return to riding this weekend.
ONE of racing's most improved gallopers, Fields Of Omagh, will miss the autumn after straining a suspensory ligament yesterday.