Northerly Stakes 2023 Field & Odds Update: Zaaki Clear Favourite

Perth’s Ascot Racecourse hosts the final Australian Group 1 race of 2023 with the Annabel Neasham-trained veteran, Zaaki, heading the Northerly Stakes field and betting markets.

Zaaki | Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos | Horseracing.com.au

Zaaki is firm favourite in Northerly Stakes 2023 betting to win the final Group 1 Australian race of the calendar year. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A talented line-up of summer hopefuls faces off in this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Northerly Stakes (1800m) including nine-year-old Zaaki who heads west for the first time.

The multiple Group 1 winning import has been kept fresh since his brave fourth when only two lengths beaten in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival – a race the good old boy had won the previous two years running.

He has been competitive in plenty over his spring prep without winning and the quality of his rivals drops notably in a winnable edition of the Perth Summer Racing showdown for the $10.8 million earner.

The latest Northerly Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes have Zaaki on top at $2.60 with James McDonald aboard from barrier 10.

Occupying the second line of the markets at $6 is top local hope Alsephina in barrier six with the ‘Wizard of the West’ William Pike in the saddle.

The in-form Star Turn mare comes from the star stables of Grant & Alana Williams.

The father-daughter duo has won three of the past five editions of the Northerly Stakes (formerly known as the Kingston Town Classic).

They saddle-up another livewire hope in 2023 with five-year-old Alsephina who boasts an impressive Ascot track record (9:6-3-0).

She was on fire winning six on the trot last campaign.

This prep she has had three starts for three straight second placings in the traditional Northerly Stakes lead-up races.

At her latest on November 25 the mare was a length off Bustler in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m).

She is rock hard fit now fourth-up and ready to fire getting up over the 1800m that she won the Group 3 La Trice Classic over here back on New Year’s Day.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies is the early market mover Bustler with Neville Parnham’s Railway Stakes champ backed in from $9.50 to $7 at time of publish.

He is looking to become just the fifth horse to complete the Railway Stakes – Northerly Stakes double and gets his chance from gate five with Brad Parnham aboard.

Damien Oliver meanwhile will make his swansong Group 1 appearance in the Northerly with the retiring hoop looking for a fairy tale upset aboard the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Zoumon ($23).

The Zoustar five-year-old is drawn wide out in gate 15 but has genuine claims at the title.

He enjoyed a big winter that included taking out the Caloundra Cup – Grafton Cup double, and he was last seen running a neck back second in Sydney’s $2 million The Five Diamonds (1800m) over this distance at Rosehill.

Also looking potential double-figure value drawn one closer in gate 14 is Parnham’s Group 2 WA Guineas winner Zipaway ($15) in on just 52kg.

The Northerly Stakes 2023 is set to run as Ascot Race 8 on Saturday.

2023 Northerly Stakes Field & Barriers

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 1x217x3264 ZAAKI (GB) Annabel Neasham James McDonald 10 59kg 120
2 1316x0x984 TRIX OF THE TRADE Colin Webster Troy Turner 7 59kg 106
3 65x2111x02 ZOUMON Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Damien Oliver 15 59kg 108
4 11x10x0178 MAROCCHINO Lou Luciani Jason Whiting 3 59kg 111
5 5x31823x23 DOM TO SHOOT Sean & Jake Casey Jarrad Noske 1 59kg 107
6 30×7629310 FORGOT YOU (NZ) Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Paul Harvey 13 59kg 103
7 112311×342 CASINO SEVENTEEN Grant & Alana Williams Shaun McGruddy 16 59kg 97
8 11751×3515 MOJO RHYTHM Mitchell Pateman Ms Holly Watson 4 59kg 92
9 5×23176557 RIVER RUBICON Steve Wolfe Alan Kennedy 9 59kg 92
10 x60113x751 BUSTLER Neville Parnham Brad Parnham 5 58.5kg 111
11 111111×222 ALSEPHINA Grant & Alana Williams William Pike 6 57kg 106
12 1x0180x180 SEARCHIN’ ROC’S Jim Taylor Jason Brown 12 57kg 96
13 41211x2x69 THE VELVET QUEEN Darren McAuliffe Patrick Carbery 11 57kg 98
14 46×2632191 BE OPTIMISTIC Luke Fernie Clint Johnston-Porter 2 57kg 90
15 243×1141 ZIPAWAY Neville Parnham Steven Parnham 14 52kg 86
16 14x21x7532 A LOT OF GOOD MEN Trevor Andrews Chris Parnham 8 52kg 8

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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