Not long until Racing Post Go North Finals Weekend - and here at Carlisle we're so proud to be involved

The Racing Post Go North Finals Weekend takes place across three days at the end of next week and, here at Carlisle, we are so proud to be involved in this series, which is going from strength to strength.

First staged in that Covid-ravaged spring of 2020, the series was designed to give horses rated just below the top level a crack at some decent prize-money, as well as boosting field sizes on the northern circuit.

We certainly seem to have fulfilled both those ambitions. Every final this weekend – when racing is staged at Musselburgh on Friday, Kelso on Saturday and here at Carlisle on Sunday – will offer £30,000 in prize-money, which is terrific for horses in this grade.

As the series has bedded in, I’m really pleased to see these valuable races growing year on year and being targeted by owners and trainers. We have almost doubled the number of qualified horses for the three chase finals we host on Sunday, with Nick Alexander and Lucinda Russell, in particular, embracing the concept.

The weekend promises to be a fantastic showcase for northern jump racing and it’s fitting all the finals salute northern legends. Our three chase finals are named after Gordon Richards’ brilliant Champion Chase and King George winner One Man, his son Nicky’s hugely popular Monet’s Garden, and Ginger McCain’s three-time Grand National winner Red Rum. 

I wonder if Nicky qualifying Coniston Clouds for the One Man race and Ginger’s son Donald qualifying Conquredalofeurope and Grey Skies for Red Rum’s race are tips in themselves.

From a personal point of view, it also gives us a chance to end Carlisle’s jumps season on a real high. We have two days left, with our Easter Family Superhero Raceday on Saturday before the Go North Finals. 

The season hasn’t been without its challenges and, given the inclement weather we often experience in Cumbria, the team have had to deal with everything from snow, ice, hail, high winds and persistent rain. But there is never any complaining, with lots of smiles through the hard work and testing conditions, and we have had some fantastic racedays, most notably on November 5, when Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock won the Colin Parker Memorial Trophy. We’re excited to see how he performs at Aintree in a couple of weeks.

As for Racing Post Go North Finals Weekend, tickets entitling you to entry for all three cards are just £40 (look on the websites of each racecourse involved for more details) and it would be fantastic to see plenty of you in person to enjoy the weekend with us.
Helen Willis is Carlisle general manager

A weekend ticket can be bought for just £40 here

Members' Club Ultimate subscribers can read more Another View columns here:

Three-time champ Silvestre de Sousa looks sharp and hungry as he bids to return to the top in Britain 

Is the mares' programme delivering results or just diluting the Cheltenham Festival? 

How do you stop Willie Mullins? I thought other trainers needed to up their game - it turns out that's far too simple 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.