Racing Post Go North Weekend to reinvigorate northern jump racing

Northern jump owners, trainers and jockeys were given something to look forward to on Thursday with the announcement of the new Racing Post Go North Weekend.

A three-day jumps festival will be held in the spring of next year, with the aim of giving a shot in the arm to a region which has been finding it hard to compete with other parts of the country.

Racing will take place at Musselburgh, Kelso and Carlisle over the weekend of March 20-22, 2020, creating a late-season highlight in the north that will provide targets to those who train in the region but do not necessarily have the firepower for the traditional festivals.

The aim is to create an event which invites racegoers to experience competitive racing at northern courses and to visit yards and see the operations in action. It brings more prize-money to the north and supports trainers, who get the chance to showcase their businesses.

The weekend will replace the Northern Lights finals day at Carlisle in December, with feedback from trainers suggesting they preferred an end-of-season event, rather than one at the end of the calendar year.

Lucinda Russell, who has lots of runners at the trio of tracks, welcomed the news and said: "It's great to see the industry working together to give trainers, owners and yards based in the north some really decent prize-money to aim towards at the end of the jumps season. It's definitely something we'll be looking to support with our horses next spring and I'm sure others in the area will do so too."

The cards at Musselburgh and Carlisle will feature three each of the six finals from the Northern Lights series, while Kelso's Saturday fixture, which already hosts a series of valuable handicaps televised on ITV, will form the middle leg of the three-day event.

All three fixtures will receive support from the BHA development fund in order to boost prize-money on offer.

Chasing bigger pots closer to home is something trainer James Ewart is looking forward to as he said: "Any initiative to boost prize-money and the race programme in the region should be applauded, and this series of fixtures now provides a real target for us to aim horses at as the core jumps season draws to a close."

Definitly Red: one of the leading lights of northern racingCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

With Definitly Red, Lady Buttons and Simply Ned among the horses spearheading a resurgence in northern jump racing this season it is hoped this initiative will build on those foundations.

Racing Post editor Tom Kerr said: "We're delighted to be supporting the Racing Post Go North Weekend.

"This weekend of high-quality racing will shine a light on some of the great racecourses, trainers and jockeys operating in the north and continue the important work that has already been done to support and reinvigorate the sport in this part of the world."

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