Northerly Stakes 2025 Betting Tips - Can King Of Light Stay Unbeaten?

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Wed 03 Dec 2025 08:08

Alex Marsh 03 Dec 2025

Share this article

Northerly Stakes 2025 features local stars and key eastern raiders
King Of Light is favored with a strong unbeaten record
Cosmic Crusader and Apulia present strong competitive alternatives

Expired

Apulia is an each-way quote in the Northerly Stakes. (Getty)

The Northerly Stakes headlines the Ascot meeting on Saturday as the final Australian Group 1 of 2025 and brings together a strong blend of local stars and key eastern raiders.

2025 Northerly Stakes Tips
2025 Winterbottom Stakes - Field & Odds

This year’s 1800m weight-for-age contest offers a genuine mix of proven performers and emerging talent, with the three-year-old brigade again shaping as a major storyline and several seasoned runners arriving with strong platform form.

At $2.40 with Picklebet, King Of Light is favourite for the 2025 Northerly Stakes.

2025 Northerly Stakes Tips

2025 Northerly Stakes Best Bet - King Of Light

It has long been a strong race for three-year-olds, who have produced 19 past Northerly Stakes winners, including six of the last 15, and the WA Guineas triumph only strengthens his profile under the weight-for-age conditions, where he will carry just 52kg.

The unbeaten galloper from the Daniel Morton stable also retains the services of Western Australia's leading rider William Pike.

King Of Light has shown a strong finish in five appearances and was able to stretch that brilliance to a mile via his latest success, which was perhaps the only query leading into that Group 2.

The money keeps coming and he’s likely to start a popular favourite.

2025 Northerly Stakes Next Best Bet - Cosmic Crusader

Leviathan Western Australian owner-breeder Bob Peters has an imposing record in the Northerly Stakes, with seven winners in this 1800m WFA contest, and his very best have taken it out, with Old Comrade and Arcadia Queen on the honour roll.

We’ll see his famous cerise and white colours on both Diamond Scene and Cosmic Crusader, with the latter the more favoured of the pair.

He atoned with a high-rating Listed win on November 22, which followed two losses at short prices, and those defeats saw him unable to secure a Railway Stakes berth, a race he likely would’ve started favourite for.

Cosmic Crusader has got genuine X factor and still feels untapped.

2025 Northerly Stakes Value Bet - Apulia

The Hayes-trained entire was much shorter in futures markets and has drifted in the betting with support for other rivals, but the Victorian hasn’t put a hoof wrong with back-to-back wins in two starts since a 12-month layoff, and getting to 1800m looks a logical progression now third-up from a spell.

While second and third didn’t frank the form from his last victory at Flemington, that Listed event has still produced two subsequent stakes winners, with Enxuto finishing second in a Cranbourne Cup behind a smart Sabaj and New Endeavour running Group 3-placed behind Gringotts at his next attempt.

Both runners emerged from that Flemington affair, which gives the form some depth despite mixed results immediately behind him.

Apulia remains a logical value alternative in a strong edition of the Northerly Stakes.

2025 Winterbottom Stakes - Field & Odds

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
1	Western Empire	Grant & Alana Williams	Billy Egan	6	59kg	$10
2	Osipenko	Chris Waller	Fred Kersley	17	59kg	$34
3	Watch Me Rock	Grant & Alana Williams	Nash Rawiller	16	59kg	$9
4	Apulia	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Michael Dee	14	59kg	$19
5	Hemlock Stone	Grant & Alana Williams	Austin Galati	7	59kg	$91
6	Diamond Scene	Michael Grantham	Brad Parnham	13	59kg	$21
7	Sentimental Hero	Peter Fernie	Craig Newitt	4	59kg	$41
8	Zipaway	Neville Parnham	Laqdar Ramoly	1	59kg	$81
9	Ginger Baker	Daniel & Ben Pearce	Joey Azzopardi	10	59kg	$91
10	In Good Order	Daniel Morton	Shaun O'Donnell	5	59kg	$61
11	Cosmic Crusader	Michael Grantham	Clint Johnston-Porter	9	59kg	$5.75
12	Depth Of Character	Annabel & Rob Archibald	Chris Parnham	2	58.5kg	$19
13	Vivy Air	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	12	57kg	$9
14	Admiration Express	Jason Miller	Brad Rawiller	3	57kg	$51
15	King Of Light	Daniel Morton	William Pike	8	52kg	$2.40
16	Pure Excess	Daniel Morton	Steven Parnham	15	50kg	$19
17e	Bonjoy	Jason Miller	Shaun McGruddy	11	57kg	$34