Northerly Orr Stakes over 1,400 metres at Caulfield and victory in the St George Stakes at the same venue a fortnight later, but Old Comrade came with a well-timed run to win the Cup in a boilover. After a tough campaign, with very little rest and stretching from August to March, Fred Kersley decided to give Northerly a good spell in the lead-up to his spring campaign. After beginning his campaign in an unsuitably short sprint in Perth, Northerly arrived in Melbourne for the Memsie Stakes, but tried to bite one of his rivals, Fields Of Omagh, and was unplaced. Backing
Northerly but Northerly rallied in the straight for the narrow, fighting victory that would become his trademark. Greg Childs said "Sunline was at peak fitness. We took off early and he looked a beaten horse. But he nailed us on the line. It was his determination. Often he looked to be struggling but he kept coming". Not meeting again before the Cox Plate, Northerly added Group One wins in the Underwood and Caulfield Stakes, while Sunline edged to favouritism for the Cox Plate with her victory in the Turnbull Stakes. The stage was now set for the 2001 Cox Plate. In