Northerly dueled over the final 800 metres. Nonetheless, Northerly was a decisive winner of the Horse of the Year Award. In August 2003 swelling was found in his off-foreleg. This revealed a torn tendon, and with it, Northerly's career seemed over. Attempting to buck the odds, Northerly returned to the track in August 2004. Months of speculation ended when he galloped and then trialled successfully. A crowd of 30,000 descended on Belmont racecourse in Perth to see his return. Carrying 64.5 kilograms, Northerly was fourth most of the way and got to the lead in sight of the winning post, only
The Racecourse, Northampton murdered in bushes around the basketball courts on the Racecourse after walking back at night from a nearby pub. Her killer Raymond Ellis, unemployed was later jailed. In 2006, the park regularly made front page news locally for its high levels of day and night-time robberies and assaults, leading to the Northampton Chronicle & Echo newspaper setting up The Friends of Northampton Racecourse (FONR). The partnership looked at reclaiming the Racecourse from the criminals, with its campaign eventually gaining respect from a national broadsheet The Guardian. The group continues to support the park's heritage and image. The Racecourse, Northampton The