The next week the Caulfield Cup winner returned to Moonee Valley and repeated his feat of the previous year in winning the Cox Plate. In a high quality year, Northerly raced past Sunline (fourth) at the top of the straight, and held off Defier and Grandera, with Fields of Omagh and equal-favourite Lonhro further back. Speaking after his amazing spring, legendary Racing Steward Des Gleeson said that Northerly was "The champion of his era. His Caulfield Cup win was brilliant with the big weight, and he backed up in the Cox Plate and blitzed them. He has a big motor."