By Scott Bailey
The last Group 1 of the Australian calendar at Ascot is meant to be a celebration of the established stars – the Western Empires, the Watch Me Rocks, the eastern raiders rolling in looking to pinch one before the year is out.
Instead, the 2025 Northerly Stakes feels like it belongs to a horse who hasn’t been beaten yet, and a jockey who has rolled the dice.
William Pike could have stuck with Railway hero Watch Me Rock or rekindled his partnership with Western Empire. Instead, he has gone all-in on the unbeaten three-year-old King Of Light, openly pointing to the record of the youngsters as a key reason for siding with the colt. For a race that has repeatedly showcased the brilliance of emerging talent, it’s the sort of decision big-race jockeys are paid to get right.
The Northerly Stakes – formerly the Kingston Town Classic – has always had a soft spot for three-year-olds. They dominated the early years when the race was first run in 1976, winning four of the first five and eight of the first eleven. More recently, the race has taken on another “youth movement”, with eleven of the last 38 editions going to three-year-olds. Names like Playing God, Ihtsahymn, Arcadia Queen and Amelia’s Jewel turned raw potential into Group 1 reality at 1800 metres.
There’s another key historical thread: the WA Guineas–Northerly double. It’s a path that’s been walked successfully by Ihtsahymn, Playing God, Megatic, and in more recent years, Arcadia Queen and Amelia’s Jewel. King Of Light arrives at Ascot having just claimed the WA Guineas in dominant style, unbeaten in five starts and already earning ratings that mark him as the most naturally gifted three-year-old in Perth since Arcadia Queen. Add in the weight scale – he carries 52kg against seasoned older horses on 59kg – and Pike’s call starts to look far more like a calculated play than a sentimental gamble.
On paper, King Of Light’s record is bulletproof: five starts, five wins, and a perfect sweep through the Belgravia, Fairetha and WA Guineas. He’s shown versatility from 1200m through to a mile, proven himself on good and soft ground, and the way he put the Guineas away was as smooth and commanding as anything produced all carnival. The clock backed it up, and so did the ratings – his Guineas performance effectively matching the figure turned in by Watch Me Rock when winning the Railway on the same day.
That matters here because the Northerly is where the carnival’s best form lines collide: the Railway at 1600m, the traditional weight-for-age brigade, and the rising three-year-olds stepping out to 1800m for the first time. King Of Light brings the new energy. The older horses bring the battle scars.
If you’re looking for proven Group 1 quality, you start with Western Empire. At eight, he’s a veteran, but his 2025 form has been anything but tired. He ran bravely in the Quokka, won the Hyperion Stakes, and battled through heavy ground in the Strickland before returning to run second in the Railway, beaten less than a length. From barrier six on Saturday, with Billy Egan aboard, he maps to land just off the speed – a familiar and successful pattern for him over this trip.
Then there’s Watch Me Rock, the Railway winner Pike could easily have stuck with. He’s been one of the stories of the season for Grant and Alana Williams, winning big races at 1400m, 1600m and 1800m, and his Ascot record is outstanding. Every run this prep has suggested there’s another level still in him. That Pike has chosen King Of Light instead underscores just how highly he rates the colt.
The eastern raiders bring depth and class. Apulia arrives off two strong Melbourne mile wins, including the Chester Manifold, and looks perfectly suited to a genuinely run 1800m. Osipenko brings Sydney form and a Little Dance victory before a solid Railway run. Vivy Air has been thriving in rich mile-to-1800m races, while Depth Of Character has battled honourably through high-pressure Sydney features including the Epsom and Golden Eagle. These horses won’t be intimidated by Ascot.
Locally, there are plenty who could spoil the party if things break their way. Diamond Scene has been a revelation this prep, winning the Eurythmic and finishing strongly in the Railway. Sentimental Hero has been one of the toughest horses in the west, winning both the Boulder and Kalgoorlie Cups and then rattling home for third in the Railway. Hemlock Stone, Ginger Baker, Cosmic Crusader and Bonjoy Em all bring varying degrees of staying depth, tactical speed or consistency.
And then there’s the other Morton runner – Pure Excess – the only filly in the race. She comes straight from a nose win in the Champion Fillies and carries just 50kg, offering a lighter-weight version of the King Of Light storyline should the tempo soften and the race sit up for a swooper.
All of that brings us to one of the most important questions in any Northerly: how will it be run? On paper, this year’s edition looks set for a genuine, honest tempo rather than a breakneck one. Ginger Baker and Cosmic Crusader are natural pace options and won’t shy away from rolling forward. In Good Order and Diamond Scene can be handy from their gates, while Sentimental Hero should lob into a stalking role. The eastern visitors tend to settle midfield and wait, which may blunt their acceleration but preserve their strength late.
From barrier eight, King Of Light should land in Pike’s favourite spot: midfield with cover, one off the fence, following the right backs. At 52 kilos he doesn’t need to rush; he just needs clear air at the 300m. Western Empire and Watch Me Rock will be looking for similar runs, the old guard trying to contain the new colt’s turn of foot.
Every Northerly is a clash of eras, but this one feels especially pointed. On one side: Railway winner Watch Me Rock, former star Western Empire, and a deep group of hardened WFA campaigners. On the other: an unbeaten three-year-old carrying seven kilos less and stepping into a role once occupied by some of Perth’s greatest modern champions.
When William Pike weighed that equation – youth, weight, history, and raw talent – he chose the new kid.
If King Of Light stretches his brilliance to 1800 metres and keeps his perfect record intact, the story of the 2025 Northerly Stakes won’t just be that another three-year-old won it.
It will be that Pike saw it coming before anyone else.
