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
Northerly neck. Northerly's weight carrying feat eclipsed Sydeston's modern-day record of 57 kilos (set in 1990), while Fields Of Omagh won two Cox Plates over the next four years. Northerly started favourite, and the typically fighting win was well received by the crowd on the day. Jockey Greg Childs said "With 58 kilos, the way the race was run, he was always open to be run down by a lighter-weighted horse. I let him stride at the 600 metres which is what Fred wanted. I knew he would be vulnerable to a lighter-weighted horse in the last 50 metres but he