Northerly Stakes 2025 - Barrier Draw & Final Field
The Northerly Stakes 2025, concluding The Pinnacles series, is a prestigious Group 1 race held at Ascot over an 1800m course under weight-for-age conditions. Notable contenders include King Of Light, Cosmic Crusader, and Vivy Air, each showcasing impressive performances in recent events. With a rich history of elite winners and named in tribute to the legendary racehorse Northerly, this event has become a platform for emerging talent and established stars alike. The race's competitive lineup reflects its enduring significance in Australian horse racing.
- Northerly Stakes 2025 is the final Group 1 race of The Pinnacles series at Ascot
- Top contenders include King Of Light, Cosmic Crusader, and Vivy Air
- The race, formerly the Kingston Town Classic, honors the legendary racehorse, Northerly
Vivy Air has drawn barrier 12 in the 2025 Northerly Stakes. (Getty)
The Northerly Stakes is the final Group 1 of The Pinnacles series, with this prestigious 1800m weight-for-age feature headlining Ascot’s meeting on Saturday, December 6.
- Northerly Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
- Northerly Stakes Winners
King Of Light (barrier 8) impressed with back-to-back July victories from two starts in his first campaign and has continued to build strongly this preparation, adding a hat-trick of stakes wins to his growing record.
The unbeaten galloper from the Daniel Morton stable further underlined his promise in the Western Australian Guineas on November 22, producing a classy Group 2 performance that firmly established his credentials on the path toward the Northerly Stakes.
It has long been a strong race for three-year-old's, who have produced 19 past Northerly Stakes winners, including six of the last 15, and his WA Guineas triumph only strengthens his profile under the weight-for-age conditions, where he will carry just 52kg.
Cosmic Crusader (barrier 9) arrives off a confidence-restoring Listed win on November 22 after two short-priced defeats earlier in the month, while Western Empire (barrier 6) brings proven class following a strong return run and a Railway Stakes placing despite giving weight to the winner, Watch Me Rock (barrier 16).
Vivy Air (barrier 12) also shapes as a key player after winning two of her last three starts for Ciaron Maher, highlighted by a Five Diamonds victory over the in-form Transatlantic, who arrived off consecutive wins including the Group 1 Toorak Handicap.
Apulia (barrier 14) has made an eye-catching return from nearly 12 months away, resuming with two Melbourne victories that signal a genuine resurgence, and the step to 1800m for the Northerly Stakes appears a natural progression.
Pure Excess (barrier 15) adds further depth among the younger brigade, with the three-year-old filly stepping forward off a last-start win in the Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes.
Northerly Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Empire (NZ) | Grant & Alana Williams | Billy Egan | 6 | 59kg |
| 2 | Osipenko (NZ) | Chris Waller | Fred Kersley | 17 | 59kg |
| 3 | Watch Me Rock | Grant & Alana Williams | Nash Rawiller | 16 | 59kg |
| 4 | Apulia | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Michael Dee | 14 | 59kg |
| 5 | Hemlock Stone (NZ) | Grant & Alana Williams | Austin Galati | 7 | 59kg |
| 6 | Diamond Scene | Michael Grantham | Brad Parnham | 13 | 59kg |
| 7 | Sentimental Hero | Peter Fernie | Craig Newitt | 4 | 59kg |
| 8 | Zipaway | Neville Parnham | Laqdar Ramoly | 1 | 59kg |
| 9 | Ginger Baker | Daniel & Ben Pearce | Joey Azzopardi | 10 | 59kg |
| 10 | In Good Order | Daniel Morton | Shaun O'Donnell | 5 | 59kg |
| 11 | Cosmic Crusader (NZ) | Michael Grantham | Clint Johnston-Porter | 9 | 59kg |
| 12 | Depth Of Character | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Chris Parnham | 2 | 58.5kg |
| 13 | Vivy Air | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 12 | 57kg |
| 14 | Admiration Express | Jason Miller | Brad Rawiller | 3 | 57kg |
| 15 | King Of Light | Daniel Morton | William Pike | 8 | 52kg |
| 16 | Pure Excess | Daniel Morton | Steven Parnham | 15 | 50kg |
| 17e | Bonjoy | Jason Miller | — | 11 | 57kg |
Northerly Stakes Winners
A Group 1 event with a long and evolving history, the race was known for many years as the Kingston Town Classic (2007–2021) before being renamed the Northerly Stakes in tribute to Northerly, the nine-time Group 1 champion widely regarded as Western Australia’s greatest-ever racehorse.
Held over 1800m at weight-for-age, the contest has long been a springboard for rising talents while also attracting some of the nation’s elite performers, with legends including Kingston Town, Vo Rogue and Better Loosen Up featuring on its honour roll.
More recently, Amelia’s Jewel (2022), Dom To Shoot (2023) and Light Infantry Man (2024) have claimed the past three runnings of the Northerly Stakes.
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