ETHEREAL Melbourne Cup Caulfield Cup The BMW		SUNLINE Coolmore Classic Doncaster Handicap All-Aged Stakes
	NORTHERLY WS Cox Plate Underwood Stakes Yalumba Stakes

Ethereal, Northerly and Sunline, who each have won three Group One races this season are locked together in a tremendous battle for the crown which will be announced at the end of the season on July 31.

Had either Northerly or Ethereal been able to win the Australian Cup at Flemington in February their name would probably be on the trophy.

Sunline, a multiple winner of the award, stormed into contention with a burst of three Group One wins in the past couple of months.

The New Zealand mare actually won four Group Ones during the season. But her comprehensive win the Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa can not be taken into account with the race being run on the other side of the Tasman.

Will the fact that neither Ethereal or Sunline have been able to beat Northerly home in a race this season give the West Aussie an advantage?

The last horse to complete the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double Let's Elope, was crowned the Champion of her year, will that be enough for Ethereal?

Or will it be the undisputed crowd favourite Sunline who can make history and be the first horse to ever win the title for the third time?

These three questions will be answered when the votes come in from the industry experts at the end of July. Members of the Australia Racing Writers Association, Representatives from Racing Clubs and Handicappers will have one of the hardest decisions of the lives come July.

While Victory Vein picks herself as the champion juvenile and Lonhro looks sure to voted the best at three, it's the main prize that has the racing fraternity in a spin.

There's more than just the three questions listed above that have to be considered come voting time.

How much gloss will be taken off Northerly for his unplaced effort in Perth? Will the temporary media ban by Trevor McKee and Thayne Green make a difference? Remember the media do vote. Will the Coolmore Classic be classed as a Group Two with voters when it comes to the crunch? Has the recent retirement of Ethereal and pending end for Sunline had any influence?

FACTS

• Ethereal has never beaten Sunline.
• Sunline has never beaten Northerly.
• Ethereal has never beaten Northerly.
• All three won three Group One races in Australia during the season.
• Sunline is the only horse to have placed in every start.
• Northerly's three Group Ones came at weight-for-age. Both Sunline and Ethereal won handicaps.
• Sunline's best winning streak is four (at present), Northerly is also four and Ethereal is two.
• Kingston Town only ever was Horse of the Year once.
• No female trainer has ever been represented by the HOY winner.
• The last Melbourne Cup winner to win was Saintly. Before than it was Jeune. Neither had also won the Caulfield Cup.
• The Cox Plate winner has won the past three awards.
• The last mare to win before Sunline was Cups heroine Let's Elope.

Northerly won five races during the season, Sunline four and Ethereal three.

THEIR RECORDS

ETHEREAL

3^rd of 8 Pukekohe F&M Open Hcp 1400m 1^st It’s Platonic, 2^nd Maggie
3^rd of 13 Matamata Cup LR 1600m 1^st It’s Platonic, 2^nd Rijeka
3^rd of 8 Caulfield Yalumba Stks G1 2000m 1^st Northerly, 2^nd Shogun Lodge
1^st of 18 Caulfield Caulfield Cup G1 2400m 2^nd Sky Heights 3^rd Celestial Show
1^st of 22 Flemington Melbourne Cup G1 3200m 2^nd Give the Slip, 3^rd Persian Punch
5^th of 11 Te Rapa Waikato Sprint G1 1400m 1^st Sunline, 2^nd Honor Bound
5^th of 9 Caulfield St. George Stakes G2 1800m 1^st Northerly 2^nd Old Comrade
5^th of 11 Flemington Australian Cup G1 2000m 1^st Old Comrade 2^nd Northerly
1^st of 7 Rosehill The BMW G1 2400m 2^nd Universal Prince, 3^rd Rain Gauge

NORTHERLY

1^st of 9 Belmont Park Goodwood Sprint LR 2^nd Prince of Pop, Corporate Bruce
2^nd of 10 Belmont Park Farnley Stakes LR 1^st Corporate Bruce, 3^rd Prince of Pop
1^st of 8 Moonee Valley Feehan Stakes G2 2^nd Sunline, 3^rd Sir Clive
1^st of 13 Caulfield Underwood Stakes G1 2^nd Universal Prince, 3^rd Kaapstad Way
1^st of 8 Caulfield Yalumba Stakes G1 2^nd Shogun Lodge, 3^rd Ethereal
1^st of 8 Moonee Valley WS Cox Plate G1 2^nd Sunline, 3^rd Viscount
11^th of 16 Ascot Railway Stakes G1 1^st Old Comrade, 2^nd Mr Tanzania
2^nd of 9 Caulfield CF Orr Stakes G1 1^st Barkada, 3^rd Cent Home
1^st of 9 Caulfield St. George Stakes G2 2^nd Old Comrade, 3^rd Piper Star
2^nd of 11 Flemington Australian Cup G1 1^st Old Comrade, 3^rd Rain Gauge

SUNLINE

2^nd of 10 Moonee Valley Manikato Stakes G1 1^st Piavonic, 3^rd Falvelon
1^st of 9 Caulfield Memsie Stakes G2 2^nd Piavonic, 3^rd Rum
2^nd of 8 Moonee Valley Feehan Stakes G2 1^st Northerly, 3^rd Sir Clive
1^st of 14 Flemington Turnbull Stakes G2 2^nd Universal Prince, 3^rd Primrose Sands
2^nd of 8 Moonee Valley WS Cox Plate G1 1^st Northerly, 3^rd Viscount
*1^st of 11 Te Rapa Waikato Draught Sprint G1 2^nd Honor Bound, 3^rd Vinaka
1^st of 12 Rosehill Coolmore Classic G1 2^nd Gentle Genius, 3^rd Nanny Maroon
1^st of 20 Randwick Doncaster Hcp G1 2^nd Shogun Lodge, 3^rd Defier
1^st of 10 Randwick All Aged Stakes G1 2^nd Cent Home, 3^rd Dress Circle

* race was run in New Zealand and will not be taken into consideration.

And for what it's worth I'm leaning west to find the best!

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