Looking for this year’s Northerly Stakes betting odds, field, form and tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know on the Group 1 Perth race.
Northerly Stakes 2025 Results
The official 2025 Northerly Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday December 6, 2025.
- #11 Cosmic Crusader
- #3 Watch Me Rock
- #1 Western Empire
Cosmic Crusader ($6) delivered a career defining performance to head the 2025 Group 1 Northerly Stakes results Ascot, holding on to edge out Railway Stakes hero Watch Me Rock in a thrilling finish. Trained by Michael Grantham and ridden by Clint Johnston-Porter in the famous Peters Investments colours, the five-year-old gelding overcame the disappointment of missing a start in the Railway two weeks earlier to secure his maiden Group 1 success. Johnston-Porter produced a perfectly timed ride, surging late to hold off the challengers, and later dedicated the victory to his grandfather who had passed away on race eve, making the triumph deeply emotional. For Grantham, it was a breakthrough at the elite level, while for Cosmic Crusader, the win confirmed his place among Western Australia’s top middle-distance gallopers heading into the autumn features.
| 11. Cosmic Crusader (9) J: Clint Johnston-Porter59kg 11331T: Michael Grantham | ||
| 3. Watch Me Rock (15) J: Nash Rawiller59kg 1x311T: Grant & Alana Williams | ||
| 1. Western Empire (6) J: Billy Egan59kg 14x52T: Grant & Alana Williams | ||
| 2. Osipenko (16) J: Fred W Kersley59kg 43017T: Chris Waller | ||
| 12. Depth Of Character (2) J: Chris Parnham58.5kg 30840T: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 14. Admiration Express (3) J: Brad Rawiller57kg 1x788T: Jason Miller | ||
| 10. In Good Order (5) J: Shaun O'Donnell59kg 17x29T: Daniel Morton | ||
| 13. Vivy Air (11) J: Ethan Brown57kg x2121T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 6. Diamond Scene (12) J: Brad Parnham59kg 12x14T: Michael Grantham | ||
| 4. Apulia (13) J: Michael Dee59kg 23x11T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 5. Hemlock Stone (7) J: Austin Galati59kg 07x80T: Grant & Alana Williams | ||
| 16. Pure Excess (14) J: Steven Parnham50kg 2x331T: Daniel Morton | ||
| 9. Ginger Baker (10) J: Joey Azzopardi59kg 31460T: Daniel & Ben Pearce | ||
| 15. King Of Light (8) J: William Pike52kg 1x111T: Daniel Morton | ||
| 7. Sentimental Hero (4) J: Craig Newitt59kg 52113T: Peter Fernie | ||
| 8. Zipaway (1) J: Laqdar Ramoly59kg 40075T: Neville Parnham |
The third and final Group 1 held at Ascot Racecourse as part of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival, the Northerly Stakes is WA’s last big race event of the year before the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) runs in January.
The race was previously named the Kingston Town Stakes in honour of the great triple Cox Plate champion Kingston Town who won this race in 1982 when it was known as the Western Mail Classic before being renamed ahead of the 2022 edition.
The event now honours former middle-distance champion racehorse Northerly who won Perth’s Railway Stakes in 2000 before a host of other elite level races in Australia including dual victories in the Australian Cup (2001, 2003) and Cox Plate (2001, 2002), as well as the 2002 Caulfield Cup.
Offering $1.5 million in prize money, the Northerly Stakes is a weight-for-age classic contested over 1800m as a follow-up from the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) held over the mile a fortnight earlier.
Sniper’s Bullet (2009) was the last horse to complete the Railway Stakes – Kingston Town Classic double in the same year. He was the third to do so joining: Better Loosen Up (1989), Old Comrade (2001) and Modem (2004).
The brand new $1.5 million Group 3 The Gold Rush (1400m) held in mid-December for the first time in 2022 is now a likely target for Northerly Stakes horses each summer.
Northerly Stakes 2025 – Quick Information
- Former Race Name: Kingston Town Classic
- Race Day: Saturday December 6, 2025
- Track Location: Ascot Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Left-handed
- Race Distance: 1,800 metres
- Weight Conditions: Weight for age
- Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 1
- Operator: Perth Racing
- Prize Purse: $1,500,000
- Inaugural Race: 1976
- 2025 Northerly Stakes Winner: Cosmic Crusader
Northerly Stakes Betting 2025
There are many different ways to bet on the Northerly Stakes, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Northerly Stakes |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Northerly Stakes. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers in this year’s Northerly Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in the Northerly Stakes, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend. |
| Quinella Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Northerly Stakes results, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Northerly Stakes results to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Northerly Stakes results to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Northerly Stakes results to win the First 4. |
| Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) | You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from the Northerly Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Northerly Stakes in 2025
- Log in at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Northerly Stakes Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which Horse Will Win The Northerly Stakes in 2025
The best way to pick which horse will win the Northerly Stakes in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring / summer racing form, their previous record at the Ascot track and runners from the key local stables.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Northerly Stakes winner include:
- Favourites – The top fancies have a strong strike-rate of close to 50% in the past decade in this race.
- The Double – Western Australia’s big double is the Railway Stakes – Kingston Town Classic. If a horse wins the Railway Stakes, keep an eye on it if it’s entered into this race.
- Racetrack Advantage – All winners going back as far as 1993 have just come off a race at Ascot before winning this race. Be wary of East Coasters or Internationals with no experience at Ascot.
- Filly Factor – Three fillies in the past few years have beaten the older horses in this race so watch for the youngsters in on just 50kg. Amelia’s Jewel (2022) was the last Northerly Stakes winning filly.
Northerly Stakes Favourites 2025
Favourites in 2025 Northerly Stakes betting include the currently unbeaten WA Guineas winning three-year-old King Of Light, Ciaron Maher’s in-form Five Diamonds winning mare Vivy Air, and Grant & Alana Williams’ $3 million earning eight-year-old Western Empire coming off a second in the Group 1 Railway Stakes.
Favourites have a solid recent strike rate with eight winners from 2007 – 2024. The three most recent Kingston Town Classic (now Northerly Stakes) favourites to win are the fillies Perfect Reflection (2015), Arcadia Queen (2018) and Amelia’s Jewel (2022).
Northerly Stakes field 2025
The official 2025 Northerly Stakes field of final acceptances is announced by Perth Racing on the Monday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Northerly Stakes 2025 final field features a capacity line-up of middle-distance summer stayers led in betting by the undefeated Dan Morton trained WA Guineas winning gelding King Of Light chasing his sixth win from as many starts and drawn midfield in gate eight with William Pike to ride.
| Entrant | Last 6 | Sex | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Western Empire
J: Billy Egan
T: Grant & Alana Williams |
914x52 | G | 6 | 59kg | |
|
2. Osipenko
J: Fred W Kersley
T: Chris Waller |
x43017 | G | 16 | 59kg | |
|
3. Watch Me Rock
J: Nash Rawiller
T: Grant & Alana Williams |
11x311 | G | 15 | 59kg | |
|
4. Apulia
J: Michael Dee
T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes |
x23x11 | H | 13 | 59kg | |
|
5. Hemlock Stone
J: Austin Galati
T: Grant & Alana Williams |
407x80 | G | 7 | 59kg | |
|
6. Diamond Scene
J: Brad Parnham
T: Michael Grantham |
212x14 | G | 12 | 59kg | |
|
7. Sentimental Hero
J: Craig Newitt
T: Peter Fernie |
x52113 | G | 4 | 59kg | |
|
8. Zipaway
J: Laqdar Ramoly
T: Neville Parnham |
x40075 | G | 1 | 59kg | |
|
9. Ginger Baker
J: Joey Azzopardi
T: Daniel & Ben Pearce |
131460 | G | 10 | 59kg | |
|
10. In Good Order
J: Shaun O'Donnell
T: Daniel Morton |
317x29 | G | 5 | 59kg | |
|
11. Cosmic Crusader
J: Clint Johnston-Porter
T: Michael Grantham |
x11331 | G | 9 | 59kg | |
|
12. Depth Of Character
J: Chris Parnham
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
030840 | G | 2 | 58.5kg | |
|
13. Vivy Air
J: Ethan Brown
T: Ciaron Maher |
2x2121 | M | 11 | 57kg | |
|
14. Admiration Express
J: Brad Rawiller
T: Jason Miller |
41x788 | M | 3 | 57kg | |
|
15. King Of Light
J: William Pike
T: Daniel Morton |
11x111 | G | 8 | 52kg | |
|
16. Pure Excess
J: Steven Parnham
T: Daniel Morton |
32x331 | F | 14 | 50kg | |
| 17. Bonjoy (11) Scratched: | |||||
Northerly Stakes 2025 Tips
Favourite: #15 King Of Light ($2.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #15 King Of Light to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #16 Pure Excess ($18 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our insider 2025 Northerly Stakes tips will be published above the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 NORTHERLY STAKES PREVIEW & TIPS
Northerly Stakes Race Day 2025
2025 Northerly Stakes Day takes place on Saturday the 6th of December 2025 at Ascot Racecourse in WA.
Northerly Stakes Barrier Draw 2025
The 2025 Northerly Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public on the Tuesday of race week and will be published in our above Northerly Stakes Field section.
Northerly Stakes Nominations 2025
The early 2025 Northerly Stakes nominations close at the start of October nearly two months out from the event and officially announced by Perth Racing.
The 2025 Northerly Stakes nominations attracted a bumper 123 early entries led in all-in betting by Dan Morton’s currently undefeated three-year-old gelding King Of Light.
northerly stakes Weights 2025
Weight for age conditions apply to this race. The official 2025 Northerly Stakes weights will be published on the Tuesday of race week in our above Northerly Stakes Field section.
Northerly Stakes Acceptances 2025
2025 Northerly Stakes final declarations close on the Monday of race week and will be published in our above Northerly Stakes Field section.
Northerly Stakes jockeys 2025
Final riders close at 3:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week and the official 2025 Northerly Stakes jockeys will be published in our above Northerly Stakes Field section.
Northerly Stakes Scratchings 2025
Northerly Stakes 2025 scratchings close on the morning of Saturday the 6th of December 2025.
Northerly Stakes Prize Money 2025
The 2025 Northerly Stakes prize purse is worth $1,500,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $822,000 |
| 2nd | $279,000 |
| 3rd | $132,000 |
| 4th | $58,500 |
| 5th | $43,500 |
| 6th | $27,000 |
| 7th | $27,000 |
| 8th | $27,000 |
| 9th | $27,000 |
| 10th | $27,000 |
Northerly Stakes Race Number 2025
The 2025 Northerly Stakes race number is scheduled as Ascot Race 9 at 5:00pm (AWST) / 8:00pm (AEDT) on Saturday the 6th of December 2025. There are ten races in total that day at Ascot Racecourse.
Northerly Stakes Form Guide 2025
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 Northerly Stakes form guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 NORTHERLY STAKES FORM GUIDE
Northerly Stakes Live 2025
You can watch or listen to the 2025 Northerly Stakes live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
Kingston Town Classic / Northerly Stakes Winners
Winners of the Kingston Town Classic / Northerly Stakes going back to the year 2000 are displayed in the table below. If you would like to view the full list of Kingston Town Classic / Northerly Stakes winners, please visit our Northerly Stakes Winners page.
| Year | Winner | Trainer/s | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Cosmic Crusader | Michael Grantham | Clint Johnston-Porter | 1:48.48 |
| 2024 | Light Infantry Man | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 1:47.91 |
| 2023 | Dom To Shoot | Sean & Jake Casey | Jarrad Noske | 1:48.61 |
| 2022 | Amelia’s Jewel | Simon A. Miller | Patrick Carbery | 1:50.81 |
| 2021 | Regal Power | Grant & Alana Williams | Patrick Carbery | 1:48.81 |
| 2020 | Truly Great | Grant & Alana Williams | Chris Parnham | 1:48.27 |
| 2019 | Kay Cee | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 1:51.29 |
| 2018 | Arcadia Queen | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 1:48.55 |
| 2017 | Pounamu | Alan Mathews | Patrick Carbery | 1:49.5 |
| 2016 | Stratum Star | Darren Weir | Damian Lane | 1:49.4 |
| 2015 | Perfect Reflection | Grant Williams | William Pike | 1:53.7 |
| 2014 | Moriarty | Chris Waller | Douglas Whyte | 1:48.7 |
| 2013 | Ihtsahymn | Fred Kersley | Steven Parnham | 1:49.9 |
| 2012 | Luckygray | Gino Poletti | Shaun O’Donnell | 1:50.6 |
| 2011 | Playing God | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 1:49.5 |
| 2010 | Playing God | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 1:48.9 |
| 2009 | Sniper’s Bullet | Tracey Bartley | Damien Oliver | 1:46.9 |
| 2008 | Niconero | D A Hayes | Brad Rawiller | 1:46.9 |
| 2007 | Megatic | – | – | 1:48.0 |
| 2006 | Niconero | – | – | 1:47.4 |
| 2005 | Early Express | P J Giadresco | J Whiting | 1:48.0 |
| 2004 | Modem | Trevor Andrews | P Harvey | 1:50.1 |
| 2003 | True Steel | Maxine Payne | Clint Harvey | 2:03.6 |
| 2002 | Blevvo | – | – | 1:52.1 |
| 2001 | Old Comrade | N M Lamey | P Harvey | 1:50.0 |
| 2000 | Old Comrade | N M Lamey | P Harvey | 1:36.2 |
How do I bet on the 2025 Northerly Stakes?
Log in at neds.com.au
Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Northerly Stakes Betting).
Select the horse(s) for the race.
Which horse will win the 2025 Northerly Stakes?
The best way to pick which horse will win the Northerly Stakes in 2025 is to take into account their lead-up spring / summer racing form, their previous record at the Ascot track and runners from the key local stables.
Additional factors to consider when picking the Northerly Stakes winner include:
Favourites - The top fancies have a strong strike-rate of close to 50% in the past decade in this race.
The Double - Western Australia’s big double is the Railway Stakes - Kingston Town Classic. If a horse wins the Railway Stakes, keep an eye on it if it’s entered into this race.
Racetrack Advantage - All winners going back as far as 1993 have just come off a race at Ascot before winning this race. Be wary of East Coasters or Internationals with no experience at Ascot.
Filly Factor - Three fillies in the past few years have beaten the older horses in this race so watch for the youngsters in on just 50kg. Amelia's Jewel (2022) was the last Northerly Stakes winning filly.