Top 5 Northerly Stakes Winners

Kingston Town Classic winners

The Northerly Stakes is one of three Group 1 races in Perth that is held towards the end of the calendar year and has been taken out by some champion gallopers over the years. See who made our list of top 5 Northerly Stakes winners.

In modern times, the feature race has been taken out by some outstanding gallopers.

The Northerly Stakes (1800m) is one of the major highlights of the Perth racing scene and has been won by some champion gallopers over the years.

See who made our list of top 5 Kingston Town Classic winners of all time.

Top 5 Kingston Town Classic winners.

1. KINGSTON TOWN (1982)

It is hard to go past the mighty Kingston Town as the best winner of this race and not just because it is named after him. One of the all time greats of the Australian Turf, the King claimed the Kingston Town Classic in 1982 when it was known as the Western Mail Classic. That turned out to be the last time he raced as leg issues prevented him from making the track again. Just over a month before that win, Kingston Town had claimed his third Cox Plate (2040m) victory, which has gone down in folklore after the race caller, Bill Collins, declared he couldn’t win with 400m to go. His record of three wins in the weight-for-age championship stood for 35 years until Winx came along and equalled then broke that record in 2017 and 2018. All up, Kingston Town won 30 races, including 14 at Group 1 level.

2. BETTER LOOSEN UP (1989)

Another legend of Australian racing, Better Loosen Up was a star of the weight-for-age scene in Australia from 1989-1991, with the Cox Plate and the Australian Cup (2000m) among his biggest achievements. But it was his victory on the world stage in the Japan Cup (2400m) that was most memorable, winning for Australia. He is the only local to achieve that feat. He was luckless not to win another Cox Plate in the rough-house version of 1992 and claimed a total of eight Group 1 wins with victory in the Kingston Town Classic coming in 1989.

3. VO ROGUE (1988)

Vo Rogue endeared himself to racing fans with his daring front running tactics. He claimed the then Winfield Stakes in 1988 when he was at the peak of his powers. He was trained by Vic Rail in Brisbane but picked up major races not only in that city but also in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. He loved hard tracks and won six Group 1 races, including the 1989 and 1990 Australian Cups, as well as the William Reid Stakes (1200m) in 1988 and the Orr Stakes (1400m) from 1988 to 1990.

4. OLD COMRADE (2001 & 2002)

Old Comrade is a two time winner of the Kingston Town Classic and was one of the local sparring partners of the champion Northerly at what was a great time for WA racing. He traded blows with that galloper a few times during his career and was able to come to Melbourne to pip the champ in the 2002 Australia Cup (2000m). He won six of his 22 races with four of those coming at Group 1 level. In 2000 and 2001 he avoided that horse when claiming the Kingston Town Classic. The Lindsey Smith-trained galloper is one of four gallopers that have won this race on two occasions.

5. ARCADIA QUEEN (2018) & FAMILY OF MAN (1976 & 1978)

Honourable mentions to Playing God, Niconero and Summer Beau with that trio winning this race twice. Family Of Man sneaks into the list and is another two time winner. He was successful in the eastern states with victories in a number of features in 1977 and 1978, including the Cox Plate in 1977. Arcadia Queen may yet surpass the efforts of that galloper and won the Kingston Town Stakes in 2018. She struck form at the Melbourne Spring Carnival in 2020, claiming the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m). Those efforts were split by an unlucky run in the Cox Plate.

 

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