Northerly had had an outstanding campaign, and the Cox Plate was his fourth win in-a-row. Northerly returned to Perth, and his trainer Fred Kersley chose to run him in the Railway Stakes, which had been moved forward on the calendar. Unfortunately for the "home" crowd, the Cox Plate winner wilted badly in the home straight under 61.5 kilograms, and he finished an uncharacteristic 11th of 16 behind the Lindsey Smith trained Old Comrade, who again defeated Northerly in the Australian Cup in March. Northerly had shown strong lead-up form to the Australian Cup, including a close second in the C F
The Racecourse used for horse racing in 1733; previously the site had been a smithy for the Prior of Durham. At its peak, the course had a stone grandstand and attracted 90,000 spectators for a two-day event in 1873. The Racecourse was also used for other sports in the Nineteenth Century, notably cricket and the Durham Regatta. The land is now owned by the University, which has used it as sports field since the nineteenth century. On 16-17 June 2012 the Racecourse hosted the Olympic torch as part of the London 2012 relay. Durham Miners' Gala was first held at the Racecourse