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
Southwell Racecourse on site. Meetings scheduled for the all-weather flat course were transferred to Wolverhampton and Lingfield. The course successfully re-opened on 5 February 2013 with a seven-race flat meeting. Initial meetings following the re-opening had a limited capacity while renovations continued. Southwell Racecourse Southwell Racecourse (pronounced /ˈsʌðəl/ or /ˈsaʊθwɛl/) is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located east of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, England. It is one of only six racecourse in the UK to have an all-weather track and is the only one with a fibresand surface. Fibresand is a mixture of sand and wispy fibres. The racing is also of significance.