'The one I'm really looking forward to is at Kelso' - trainers talk about their hopes for Go North Weekend

What is so good about the Go North series?

Northumberland trainer, Susan Corbett
It’s an excellent initiative for northern trainers to get prepared and plan ahead for. It’s a chance for us to earn good prize-money in what are generally 0-120 races.

West Yorkshire trainer, Sam England
It’s superb prize-money for run-of-the-mill northern handicappers and it’s great for the owners who support us up here.

Scotland joint-trainer, Lucinda Russell
When the idea of the series first came out I wasn’t sure if it would work but my goodness it really has. It’s aspirational, it’s great for enlivening racing in the north, it’s increased field sizes and made racing more competitive. Giving horses rated 110-120 a chance to go for a big pot is fantastic.

Cumbria trainer, Dianne Sayer
It’s a great initiative for northern racing, it creates a great deal of interest with many trainers like myself trying to target big prize-money which is usually beyond our reach and it produces a great weekend’s racing.

Musselburgh general manager, Bill Farnsworth
It’s designed for connections who support the jumps programme in the north through the year and don’t have the quality of horse to go to Cheltenham. They matter to racing as much as anyone else and it’s important they have a big prize to aim for.

Kelso managing director, Jonathan Garratt
They give meaningful targets with valuable prize-money to horses predominantly trained in the north. So much of racing is about anticipation and aspiration and I’ve spoken to plenty of owners with qualified horses who are looking forward to the finals.  

How important is it to you?

Susan Corbett
It gives me and my owners an aim for the season, with a determination to do better than any southern trainers who may want to compete for the prizes on offer. It also shows what an incentive extra prize-money is to field sizes – the number of horses qualified this year is the biggest yet – and it gives racegoers an excellent weekend of racing.

Sam England
We try to aim at the finals from some way out. They’re good prizes and if we think we have a horse capable of running well we’ll try to target them.

Lucinda Russell
One of the best things is getting owners enthusiastic about it and making a plan for the horses through the season so we can aim for the final. For horses capable of winning in the 110-120 range it’s very important because they can race for decent prize-money.

Dianne Sayer
It is a series we look forward to and aim to target as best we can every year, because it provides great days for owners with horses that don’t have to be top-class, just genuine.

Bill Farnsworth: 'It’s an opportunity for us to put something back into the sport'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Bill Farnsworth
It isn’t one of our big racedays, when we make the profits to pay for the running of the business, but it’s an opportunity for us to put something back into the sport and reward the owners and trainers who support us all year.

Jonathan Garratt
It’s vital to us. We’re a not-for-profit enterprise; we’re here to promote jump racing in the north and serve our local community. It’s important we support horses at every level and we want to encourage horses at the bottom end of the handicap. You can’t survive by concentrating on horses in Class 1.

What has been your greatest day at the Go North series . . . so far?

Susan Corbett 
It has to be when we had first and second in the three-mile hurdle in 2024, a great battle between Velasco and Champ Royal. However Les’s Legacy is a homebred so his win at Kelso was super special and Ebony Rose won one of the first finals and her daughter will be aimed at next year’s series!

Sam England
They were great days when Croagh Patrick and Going Mobile won chase finals at Carlisle. Both had plenty of owners there and they had a really good time!

Lucinda Russell
Last year at Kelso, where Starlyte won the two-mile-three hurdle. She’s a really sweet mare, we got her ready and the plan worked. Patrick Wadge rode out his claim and she was our 150th Kelso winner so it was very special. The owners, Anne and Allan Grant, had just got married and were really able to celebrate.

The Navigator on his way to victory at Kelso last yearCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Dianne Sayer
We’ve had some great successes with affordable horses and I particularly remember Iolani winning the two-mile hurdle final at Musselburgh in 2021 and The Navigator doing the same the following year.

Bill Farnsworth
Goodtimes Badtimes was owned by a farming syndicate from the Borders, many of whom played rugby for Kelso. There were 20 in a hospitality box, all had a decent bet and I worried whether the balcony would stand their jumping when it won! And when we lost Easter Saturday in 2023 but managed to stage the finals card six days later despite more rain was also special.

Jonathan Garratt
It gets bigger, better and stronger every year and Starlyte’s win in the Cab On Target final last year underlined what the series is all about. Starlyte had progressed through Class 4 and 5 races at Kelso and ended up winning a £35,000 race.

Give us a horse to look out for over the three days this year

Susan Corbett
O’Faolains Glory has won two chases at Musselburgh this season but there is nothing for her there and she’ll go for the two-mile chase at Carlisle (3.17). We’ve also laid out Kilmore Rock for the three-mile hurdle at Musselburgh (4.30). It’s exciting times.

O'Faolains Glory demonstrates his love of MusselburghCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Sam England
If it comes up soft, look out for Hudson De Grugy in the staying chase final at Carlisle. If the ground is better, Willie Shake Hands in the two-mile chase there (3.17). They’re lovely horses with a good chance.

Lucinda Russell
We have quite a few qualified and one I’m really looking forward to is Moon Phases in the novice handicap chase at Kelso (2.40). He’s just the right sort of horse, he’s on the up, improving with experience.

Dianne Sayer
We’re a small yard and our options this year are limited but I’d love to think Musselburgh might be lucky for us again. Sam’s Falcon (2.50) and Heart Above (3.22) run for us and The Navigator goes at Kelso on Saturday (1.30). I have also entered Sattam (2.45) at Carlisle on Sunday. Whatever the outcome, we will be supporting the series again in years to come.

Star Of Guiting (blue and yellow diamonds) wins at MusselburghCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Bill Farnsworth
Star Of Guiting in the Sea Pigeon Final at Musselburgh on Friday (3.22). He’s a tough horse with great form round Musselburgh and Ewan Whillans has shown with Cracking Rhapsody how good he is at coaxing further improvement out of a handicap hurdler.

Jonathan Garratt
I have to stay neutral but The Navigator, who won twice at Kelso in the autumn, is one of my favourites. He’s a lovely grey who simply flies at his hurdles and goes for the Cab On Target series final (1.30) on Saturday.

Read more on Go North Weekend:

'Her opening mark looks a gift' - Robbie Wilders with three Friday fancies on day one of Go North Weekend 

'He's really coming into himself now' - four horses to note on day one of the Go North weekend at Musselburgh 

'We're highlighting how good racing in the north can be' - Kelso primed for Go North weekend 

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