Northerly, aged 14, pranced around like a two-year-old when he paraded today at Moonee Valley at the announcement of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductees.

Northerly, ridden by Damien Oliver, strode down the famous straight and later posed with two of his former jockeys Greg Childs and Patrick Payne. (photo Lachlan Cunningham).

The West Australian gelding’s trainer Fred Kersley wasn’t on hand for today’s announcement but he will be at the Crown Palladium on Sunday night when Northerly is formerly inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Northerly retired in 2004 the winner 0f 19 of his 37 starts and $9.34m in stakes. He won two Cox Plates, two Australian Cups, a Caulfield Cup and a Railway Stakes.

Northerly is joined in the Hall of Fame by Sky High, the brilliant Golden Slipper winner who trained on to win a Victoria Derby and many top-class weight-for-age races.

COMMOTION CREATIVE HALL OF FAME HORSE INDUCTEES

Northerly – In the care of Fred Kersley, Northerly excelled under weight-for-age and handicap conditions with two Cox Plates, a Caulfield Cup,two Australian Cups, two Underwood Stakes and the Railway Stakes amongst his feature haul. His outstanding feats saw him named the Australian Racehorse of the Year in 2003.

Sky High – A brilliant horse who excelled from 1000 to 2500 metres and amassed an astonishing 29 wins and 19 minor placings from 55 starts. A winner of the Golden Slipper and Victoria Derby for trainer Jack Green, he enjoyed a stellar season in 1961 with victories in the Lightning Stakes, Futurity Stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes, Canterbury Stakes and the Epsom Handicap.

CROWN TOWERS HALL OF FAME ASSOCIATE INDUCTEE

Henry Byron Moore – Served as the Secretary of the VRC for 44 years from 1882 to 1925 and was instrumental in establishing many of the facilities and attractions that make Flemington one of the great racecourses of the world including the members’ drive and the famous rose plantings. Moore has also been acknowledged as the visionary responsible for Oaks Day being recognised today as ‘Ladies Day’.

MICHELTON WINES HALL OF FAME TRAINER INDUCTEES

Harry Plant – Best known for his training feats with inaugural Hall of Fame inductee Bernborough who won 15 races in succession. Plant’s feature race wins included four Doncaster Handicaps, two Golden Slippers, three AJC Sires Produce Stakes, a Newmarket Handicap, Futurity Stakes, Oakleigh Plate, Stradbroke Handicap and a Doomben Cup.

Jim Atkins – A member of one of the most prominent racing families in northern New South Wales before moving to Toowoomba, Atkins achieved his ambition of winning the Brisbane trainers’ premiership in 1971-72. He won a further three premierships and was a regular fixture in the top 10 over the next 25 years. Atkins’ stable of stars included Dalrello, Grey Affair, Prince Ruling, Just Now, Mr Cromwell and Rock Show.

AUSTRALIAN SUPER HALL OF FAME JOCKEY INDUCTEES

William “Billy” Pyers – Pyers had a remarkable start to his career – by the time he’d turned 24 in 1957 he’d won the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership seven times. He won further titles in 1959-60 and 1960-61 and counts the Caulfield Cup, Newmarket Handicap and Golden Slipper Stakes amongst his feature wins. Pyers then embarked on a successful career in Europe with his international victories including two King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as well as the 1967 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

John Letts – In a career spanning over 30 years, Letts rode 2350 winners. His total of 97 Cup wins, 30 in the city and 67 in the country, has never been matched and includes two Melbourne Cups (Piping Lane 1972, Belldale Ball 1980), three Adelaide Cups, an Australian Cup, a Moonee Valley Cup and a Hobart Cup. In 1972-73 he won the first of his eight Adelaide jockeys premierships.

Sunday night’s ceremony will also see an existing member of the Hall of Fame awarded racing’s highest honour when they join Phar Lap, Bart Cummings and Scobie Breasley as a Staging Connections Legend of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Other honours to be bestowed on the night as part of the Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards include:

Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year

Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter

Mittys Champion Middle Distance Performer

New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer

Tickets for Australian racing’s night of nights are still available and can be purchased by visiting www.racingmuseum.com.au/events or by calling Customer First on 1300 139 407.

The Golden Rose, run over 1400 metres at Rosehill, is Australia’s youngstest Group 1 event, but it hasn’t taken long for this $1 million race to attract a lot of interest – despite warnings from the doomsayers who believe it is run too early in this season.

This year’s field of 15 is the best yet, and includes the 2010 Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily, as well as the winners of these autumn features; the Skyline Stakes (Hinchinbrook), Todman Slipper (Masquerader), The Jansz (Toorak Toff), Silver Slipper (Chance Bye) and Black Opal Stakes (and Golden Slipper runner-up) Decision Time.

The Golden Rose was first run in 2003, when non-graded, and won by In Top Swing (wh0 went on to win the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas); the winners since have been Doonan (2004), Paratroopers (2005), Court Command (2006), Forensics (autumn 2008, due to EI), Duporth (spring 2008) and Denman last year.

Crystal Lily is trying to repeat Forensics’ effort of winning the Golden Slipper and the Golden Rose, although she will be the first horse to do the double in the same year, as Forensics won the 2007 Slipper and the Rose was delayed until March 2008 due to equine influenza.

The filly steps quickly to 1400 metres from her sound first-up second behind Panipique in the Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m, Caulfield) on August 14. She has drawn awkwardly in barrier 10 and I expect jockey Brett Prebble’s only option will be to go forward. I believe Crystal Lily is very vulnerable under these circumstances.

My leaning is towards David Payne’s exciting colt Masquerader, a substantial son of Lucky Owners (by Danehill). He missed the Golden Slipper due to injury in the autumn after a brilliant late-charging victory in the Group 2 Todman Slipper Trial (1200m, Rosehill). The colt resumed in the Group 3 Run To The Rose (1300m, Rosehill) on August 14 and produced a similar big finish for second behind Squamosa (Not A Single Doubt), who had led from the start.

Masquerader meets Squamosa on 5kg better terms for that luckless defeat – the arithmetic is in his favour – and he has drawn barrier two compared to Squamosa out in 14.

Squamosa remains a threat because he might get to the front (at worst share the lead with Chance Bye) with little or no pressure, but the early effort might cost him at the finish against a powerful finishing colt in Masquerader.

The Victorian colt Toorak Toff is regarded by trainer Rick Hore-Lacy as the best horse he has trained since Redoute’s Choice – that’s enough recommendation without taking into account his classy win in the Listed Vain Stakes (1100m, Caulfield) two weeks ago.

Expect Decision Time to run his usual honest race, but his draw (15) is a test, while Ilovethiscity and Praecido (stablemate of Masquerader) are the best chances representing some value.

THE TEMPO – GOOD

The flying filly Chance Bye, drawn barrier 3, is the logical leader on the fence, but expect Gai Waterhouse’s unbeaten colt Squamosa (gate 14) to come humming across to join her early.

It will be interesting to see if Kathy O’Hara, on Chance Bye, will hand up, as the 1400m will be a test for the filly if she is pressured. Expect the Golden Slipper filly Crystal Lily to go forward, but whether she gets in with cover will depend on Squamosa’s early pressure that might break up the field.

It could be that this trio might dictate a steady tempo, allowing for a sprint home, and making it harder for those smart colts and fillies who prefer a late charge.

View our SPEED MAP for the Golden Rose.

The tips: Masquerader 1; Toorak Toff 2, Sqamosa 3 – the value bet is Praecido.

Photo: Masquerader winning the Todman Slipper Trial (Sportpix).

If the Moonee Valley Racing Club could take the field for Saturday’s Group 2 Memsie Stakes (WFA, 1400m, Caulfield) and cut and paste it into this year’s Group 1 Cox Plate, run on October 23, it would grab the chance.

History shows that the attrition of weight-for-age stars can, as it did last year when the 3YOs dominated, leave the 2040m Cox Plate a bit thin on class representation.

This year’s Memsie Stakes line-up befits any Cox Plate of recent years, and features four worthy Cox Plate contenders – Typhoon Tracy (pictured), Shoot Out, So You Think (last year’s Cox Plate winner) and Whobegotyou.

Throw in the brilliant 4YO mares Faint Perfume and Valdemoro, the extremely talented young stayer Zabrasive, the old-stagers Sirmione, Red Ruler, Littorio and Master O’Reilly and the interesting import Buccelatti and we have a race of immense diversity and interest.

The Memsie Stakes is a far better guide to the spring than the similar Group 2 Liston Stakes (WFA, 1400m, Caulfield), run two weeks ago. Six Memsie winners have gone on to win the Cox Plate – the most recent was the great Makybe Diva in 2005.

Silver Bounty (1981) is the most recent of four Memsie winners to win a Caulfield Cup, while Makybe Diva (2005), Comic Court (1950) and Artilleryman (1919) have won the Memsie on their way to winning a Melbourne Cup.

Last year’s Memsie was won by the sprinter Mic Mac, beating Whobegotyou. Mic Mac was second up after winning the Listed Aurie’s Star Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in July. Following the Memsie, he ran second behind Whobegotyou in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (WFA, 1600m, Moonee Valley).

Most of the attention on the Memsie will be around the return of the likely 2009-10 Australian Horse of the Year, Typhoon Tracy, who resumes from a spell with the Cox Plate as her mission.

Trainer Peter Moody has said he would train the mare more conservatively this spring in an effort to get her to her best at the 2040m of the Cox Plate – a distance that has so far thought to be beyond her reach. Last year, Moody abandoned Cox Plate plans for the mare mid-spring and freshened her for the 1600m Group 1 Myer Classic on Derby day at Flemington.

He again has that option if Typhoon Tracy shows signs that she is too brilliant for a pressure-packed 2000 metres.

In Typhoon Tracy’s favour is the fact that mares have a good record in the Memsie Stakes. Since 1997, five mares have won the race, one twice  – Miss Finland (2007), Makybe Diva (2005), Magical Miss (2002), Sunline (2000, 2001) and Dane Ripper (1998) – and two of those, Makybe Diva and Sunline (2000) went on to win the Cox Plate that spring.

View the field for Saturday’s Group 2 Memsie Stakes.

There was a lot of expectation surrounding Rockstardom’s first start at Geelong (synthetic) on Tuesday, and although the handsome colt didn’t win, there was a lot to like about his solid fourth behind Éclair Surprise, also a first starter by Blackfriars.

While it may have been a cold winter’s day, the cameras were fixed on Rockstardom from all angles, just they were when he was sold for $1.5 million at the 2009 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales (see picture).

The first son of champion triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva has, by birthright, some hefty baggage to carry throughout his racing career, but the signs are promising.

Rockstardom, a flashy bay with a white blaze and four white socks – a print of his sire Galileo’s (IRE) sire Sadler’s Wells (USA) – was outpaced in the 1300m maiden before opening up in the straight once he got some clear ground. While he is a charismatic horse at any time, it is the enormous length of stride that catches your eye when he is in full flight – it’s a stride that will carry him a long way when the distances of his races are stretched.

Trainer Danny O’Brien is circumspect about the colt’s spring program. “I don’t expect him to be really competitive until he gets to 2000 metres or further,” he said.

The Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 30 is Rockstardom’s spring mission, although O’Brien is conscious that the big horse is in his first serious preparation that will be abandoned at the first sign that Rockstardom is not progressing.

While O’Brien believes Rockstardom, as his pedigree suggests, is a stayer, there will be a push, especially from the colt’s owners, to try to win a decent Group race at a trip shorter than 2000m to enhance the colt’s appeal as a stallion prospect in Australia.

However, Rockstardom’s true worth could be in the northern hemisphere where the progeny of Galileo are held in high regard and a Group 1 stayer at distances between 2000m and 2400m, and with a star pedigree, is stallion fodder for the major studs. Don’t be surprised if Rockstardom, if he is a genuine Group 1 staying colt in Australia, finds his way to England late in 2011 or 2012 in an effort to built his stallion profile.

Rockstardom is Makybe Diva’s first foal. She has a 2YO filly by Fusaichi Pegasus (USA), a yearling colt by Encosta De Lago and she is due to foal in September to More Than Ready (USA). Owner Tony Santic has selected Lonhro as Makybe Diva’s mate in 2010.

Shoot Out has started his spring campaign with a bang, but will it bust?

The Queenslander brilliantly won the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m, Caulfield) on July 31 and Saturday’s Group 2 Liston Stakes (WFA, 1400m) at Caulfield.

And while the accolades are flowing for the four-year-old, there seems to be a groundswell of opinion, especially from some renowned horsemen that trainer John Wallace has Shoot Out up and firing too early in the campaign to be a factor at the business end  of the spring, at Cox Plate time late in October.

Wallace (pictured with Shoot Out at Caulfield) scoffs at the suggestion, citing the fact that those who are making these claims don’t know his horse, or his training methods. “I am just playing with this horse at the moment, he has a lot of improvement in him,” he said.

History hasn’t been kind to horses who win the Liston Stakes – not one Liston winner has gone on to win a Melbourne Cup. In fact, the last horse to win the Cup after competing in the Liston earlier in the spring was Subzero (1992).

But when it comes to Liston Stakes winners and the Cox Plate, the pendulum swings slightly in Shoot Out’s favour.

There have been three Liston-Cox Plate winners – So Called (1978), Tauto (1971) and Tobin Bronze (1966). Until Maldivian in 2008, the previous Cox Plate winner to compete in the Liston was Better Loosen Up in 1990.

Wallace is no fool. He’s mapped out a program that fits snugly with the path followed by Maldivian, who won the Cox Plate at his seventh run in the campaign – after a barrier trial, the Mark Kavanagh-trained gelding kicked off his preparation with an excellent third behind Light Fantastic and Weekend Hussler in the Liston Stakes.

This is Maldivian’s 2008 seven-race spring campaign:

1. G2 Liston Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) – third behind Light Fantastic.
2. G2 Memsie Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) – second behind Weekend Hussler.
3. G2 Dato Tan Chim Nam Stakes (1600m, Moonee Valley) – fourth behind Guillotine.
4. G1 Underwood Stakes (1800m, Caulfield) – fourth behind Weekend Hussler.
5. G1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m, Flemington) – sixth behind Littorio.
6. G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m, Caulfield) – ninth behind All The Good.
7. G1 Cox Plate (2040m, Moonee Valley – defeated Zipping and Samantha Miss.

Wallace’s only deviation from that plan is to target the weight-for-age Group 1 Yalumba Stakes (2000m, Caulfield) – two weeks before the Cox Plate – in preference to the Caulfield Cup, run under handicap conditions a week before the Cox Plate.

“I have not discounted running him in the Caulfield Cup,” Wallace said on Sunday. “It remains an option.”

If that’s the case, Wallace ticks the necessary box that Shoot Out needs on his Melbourne Cup CV – a run over at least 2400 metres in a lead-up race.

Only the great Makybe Diva (2005), who won the Cox Plate before winning the Cup, and Empire Rose (1988) are modern horses able to win the 3200m handicap off a preparation of races that didn’t include a start of 2400 metres or further.

Already Shoot Out is aiming to create a bit of history as the only horse to win a Bletchingly Stakes, Liston Stakes and Memsie Stakes in the one campaign.

If he can go through this spring undefeated, then his record will rival one of the greats in Rising Fast, who dominated the 1954 spring carnival; and Wallace will be declared a genius.

Footnote: In 1954, Rising Fast won: Feehan Stakes (now the Dato Tan Chin Nam), Turnbull Stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes and Melbourne Cup. He capped it off with a win in the C.B. Fisher Plate on the final day of the Flemington carnival.

Photo: Colin Bull.

There’s an old rule of thumb when attending a yearling sale with a pocket full of cash – there is no value in buying the “hype” horse.

The “hype” horse of the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale was the grey daughter of Dash For Cash from the Octagonal mare Matter.

The good-looking filly was part of the Rosemont Stud draft, offered on behalf of breeder Gerry Ryan, of Limerick Lane Stud, Nagambie.

The day before the sale began, the filly’s half-brother Carnero impressively won the $350,000 Inglis Premier Classic (1200m) at Caulfield – a feature race restricted to horses sold at the 2007 Melbourne Premier Sale.

In the few weeks before the sale, there was only a smattering of interest in the Matter filly, but all of a sudden, the filly became an object of desire. Rosemont’s man on the spot Anthony Mithen was rushed off his feet organising viewings as if he was salesperson at a Myer Christmas sell-out.

In 2007, trainer Dean Binaisse paid only $30,000 for Carnero, a colt by Carnegie.

A year later, on the back of the Carnero hype, the colt’s half-sister sold to Newcastle trainer Paul Perry for $210,000 – about seven times more than Mithen was expecting before Carnero did his thing at Caulfield.

The filly was named National Gift, and today, at her 12th start, she broke through for her maiden win at Cessnock, over 1350 metres.

Footnote: Carnero, at his next start, ran second behind Von Costa De Hero in the Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m, Flemington), but he failed to win another race, despite some promising efforts as a three-year-old in the spring – he was fifth behind Whobegotyou in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) and third behind the same horse in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m, Moonee Valley).

Carnero was retired after he finished 11^th behind Rebel Raider in the 2008 Group 1 Victoria Derby. He stands at Christoph Bruechert’s Bombora Downs, Bittern, on the Mornington Peninsula. His fee is on application.

MEDIA RELEASE

Magic Millions is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Stephen Silk as Managing Director commencing October 4 2010.

Stephen is a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing.Stephen commenced work as a practicing vet in Victoria and then Ireland and then joined the Veterinary Division of The CSL Group which today is a major global company based in Australia with over 10,000 employees in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

The company is involved in the invention, production and marketing of Plasma products, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.Stephen spent more than 15 years working with CSL and in 2003 was Marketing and Sales Director CSL Pharmaceuticals.

In 2003 Stephen joined the Victoria Racing Club as General Manager Strategic Marketing with responsibility for brand strategy and the strategy for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

In 2008 Stephen moved to the role of General Manager Flemington Racecourse with responsibility for all operations at Flemington.  Stephen has also served as a Committee Member of the Melbourne Racing Club. Stephen and his family have been passionate horse breeders and racers for generations with his most notable horse participation being the great Lee Freedman trained stayer, Naturalism.

It is clear that Stephen brings a wealth of racing, breeding and most importantly business experience to Magic Millions.

David Chester, our current CEO who has been in the role for 10 years and asked to be able to step aside from his day to day CEO duties to a role as full time roving ambassador for Magic Millions reporting to Stephen with a focus on David’s outstanding relationships in Asia.

“On behalf of the partners of Magic Millions I want to thank David for his hard work and dedication as CEO and as an employee of Magic Millions since 1986,” Rob Ferguson said.

Picture: Stephen Silk at Flemington.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin stable has nominated 10 horses for this year’s 150^th running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 2.

The Dubai-based Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor has been trying to win the Cup since 1998, but so far has come up just short with three second placings – Crime Scene (behind Shocking last year), Give The Slip (Ethereal, 2001), Central Park (Rogan Josh, 1999).

bin Suroor has nine of the 10 Godolphin entries – the other is Claremont, trained fellow Dubai-based trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Interestingly, Sheikh Mohammed’s Australian stable, Darley, hasn’t an entry.

The Godolphin entries help make up a total of 253 nominations for the $6million Cup, which were released today by Racing Victoria along with nominations for the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Caulfield Guineas.

In all 67 horses – 49 trained overseas – bred in the northern hemisphere and South Africa have been entered for the Melbourne Cup; another 74 have been bred in New Zealand.

bin Suroor’s nine are: Campanologist (USA), Cavalryman (GB), Darley Sun (IRE), Holberg (UAE), Libel Law (GB), Mastery (GB), Once More Dubai (USA), Pompeyano (IRE) and Sopranist (GB).

Godolphin’s trainer Saeed bin Suroor isn’t the only European trainer trying to break through for a Melbourne Cup win – Luca Cumani, who has twice been runner up, has five horses entered, including his two runners-up Purple Moon (behind Efficient, 2007) and Bauer (Viewed, 2008).

Of course, Irishman Dermot Weld has been able to achieve the feat with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002). Weld has four entries this year, including his outstanding mare Profound Beauty, who was fifth behind Viewed in 2008.

The Japanese, who return for the first time since their historic quinella with Delta Blues and Pop Rock in 2006, have entered five horses, headed by Jaguar Mail, winner of this year’s Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m).

Bart Cummings, who has won the great race 12 times, has an even dozen entered under his name this year, including last year’s Cox Plate winner So You Think and pre-post favourite, the 2009 VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume.

Five-times Cup winner Lee Freedman has seven nominated – five former Europeans, headed by Group 3 Easter Cup winner Fanjura (IRE), and two 4YO mares, Gallant Lady and Well Rounded.

Owner Lloyd Williams’ private trainer Robert Hickmott has the most entries with 20, including the 2007 winner Efficient, the evergreen Zipping (winner of this year’s Australian Cup and a three-time Melbourne Cup runner for two fourths and a ninth) and the imported former Aga Khan-owned star Alandi (IRE), the likely top weight, who is one of eight imports purchased by Williams and his son Nick in the past 12 months and entered for this year’s Cup.

Late last year, Alandi won the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2800m) at the Curragh and the Group 1 Prix du Cadran (4000m) at Longchamp. Williams gave Alandi a warm-up run in the Listed Straight Six (1200m, Flemington) in May before giving him another break from training.

Last year’s Cup winner Shocking is one of six entries from Mark Kavanagh, while David Hayes has 14. Others include Peter Moody (11), Gai Waterhouse (8), Chris Waller (6) and John O’Shea (3).

View the full list of entries:

Melbourne Cup.

Caulfield Cup

Cox Plate

Caulfield Guineas

Pictured: The 2010 Melbourne Cup (right) with the 1910 cup won by Comedy King – and new Slattery Media publication, The Story Of The Melbourne Cup, Australia’s Greatest Race.