Northerly his racing colours of yellow, black Maltese Cross and quartered cap earned him the nickname of "The Fighting Tiger". After winning a string of minor races in Perth, Northerly burst on the scene with his victory in the 2000 Railway Stakes in his native Perth where he accounted for the state's best milers by nearly three lengths. Following a first-up second in 2001 in the unsuitably short Australia Day Stakes in Perth, Northerly arrived in Melbourne for an autumn campaign aimed at the Australian Cup. He won his first race in Melbourne, the Carlyon Cup over 1,600 metres, by almost
Ely Racecourse fully recovered from a fire that destroyed the grandstand in 1937. The last race to be held there, in 1939, was won by Grasshopper, ridden by Keith Piggott, father of the famous Lester Piggott. "History of Cardiff Racecourse" by Brian Lee (Cwm Nedd Press) Ely Racecourse Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in Cardiff, Wales. The Racecourse opened in 1855, with the first race being held on 30 May. By 1864 racing at Ely was a regular event, the races that year were acclaimed as 'the most brilliant and successful ever held'. In 1895 the first Welsh Grand National