‘Famously friendly and passionate about jump racing’ - what to expect on Go North Weekend

Carlisle

Helen Willis
General manager
We have so much to offer at Carlisle, from the warm Cumbrian welcome you will receive on arrival to the stunning views across the track towards the Lake District and Scotland, plus a wide range of food options that will keep you going throughout the day.

Racing here was first recorded in 1559 at Swift, before the move in 1904 to Durdar Road, located to the south of the city and just three miles off the M6. Carlisle’s fixture calendar covers jump racing between October and April, followed by five months of Flat racing across 24 racedays.

Red Rum: road to greatness had a stop at CarlisleCredit: AllSportUK

The wide range of food options includes formal three-course meals at your designated table for the day in our Swifts restaurant, or a homemade dish from Silks by the parade ring, or food on the go from Bell Hall, where you will find fish and chips and hot pies, or a selection of sandwiches, salads and tasty treats in the Coffee House.

The Ladbrokes Go North Finals Weekend is one of our highlights and offers trainers and owners valuable end-of-season targets. The Weekend is growing in popularity each year, with £40 tickets providing access to all three courses.

Did you know? Triple Grand National winner Red Rum (whose name is used for the Go North 3m Chase Final) won the Windermere Handicap Chase at Carlisle on his way to victory at Aintree in 1973, 1974 and 1977.

Kelso

Jonathan Garratt
Managing director
Famously friendly, the Kelso crowd is particularly passionate about jump racing. First-time visitors are unlikely to be stuck for conversation as they gather around the parade ring for a view of the horses.

Set within the viewing steps that surround the parade ring are three circular turrets, each containing a fire pit, designed as uniquely sociable spaces to gather before and after each race. The Kelsae Yorkie, available from a nearby catering unit, is a Yorkshire pudding wrap created to be enjoyed while standing next to the fire pits and held with one hand, allowing racegoers to study the racecard in the other.

The Kelso grandstandCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Further catering options include the ground-floor cafe in the Tweedie grandstand which offers excellent pies, Rosie’s Bistro, the Chicken Hutch bar (instantly recognisable because it really does look like a chicken shed) and the first floor bar in the old grandstand, built in 1823 to a design by John Carr, who engineered the world’s first permanent grandstands.

While the hurdle track follows the oval alignment of the original Flat racing track, the steeplechase course was accommodated through the inclusion of three small fields, one of which was regularly left as a stretch of plough. Despite reverting to a more conventional turf surface in the 20th century, the steeplechase track continues to offer a stiff test which has been used successfully to prepare horses for win and placed efforts in the Grand National.

Did you know? Saturday's Listed race, registered as the Beeswing Mares’ Hurdle, is named after one of the most famous mares of the 19th century. A winner twice at the same meeting at Kelso in 1840, Beeswing features in the pedigree of many Kelso favourites including The Shunter, Benson, My Drogo and Peddlers Cross.   

Musselburgh

Bill Farnsworth
Chief executive
Musselburgh’s nine-fixture winter jumps season gets off the ground in late November and builds to a seasonal highlight on New Year’s Day, which is now a feature in the northern jump racing calendar and attracts a sell-out crowd who enjoy the competitive racing and festive atmosphere.

The course steps up another gear to stage the valuable bet365 Scottish Cheltenham Trials weekend in early February. Launched 20 years ago, the Trials weekend now provides a vital stepping stone for horses who are potentially good enough to travel to the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Getting to Cheltenham is a major achievement and only the very best make it to the Cotswolds to compete in the world’s most prestigious jump racing festival. It is therefore hugely important to the three racecourses in the  Ladbrokes Go North Weekend supported by the Racing Post, that we give those horses and their connections who haven’t reached that elite level their own spring festival with big prizes.

December action at MusselburghCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

That is why the weekend is so important to us and to the owners and trainers who support jump racing throughout the winter.

If you are joining us for the first day of the Go North Weekend we have a variety of dining options available to suit every taste. Our Pinkies Bar and Deli offers freshly made artisan sausage rolls, inspiring plant-based dishes and mouthwatering sandwiches. For those seeking a comforting, hearty meal, the Harris Tweed Bistro provides a stunning panoramic view of the finish line and final furlong. Its menu features fresh, locally sourced ingredients and includes our renowned fish and chips, sourced locally from Eyemouth harbour. Walk-ins are welcome. With the weather forecast predicting pleasant conditions, why not indulge in a glass of Pommery champagne on our Pommery Lawn?

Getting here is easy – we’re just 6 miles east of Edinburgh city centre, with excellent public transport links.

Did you know? Located in the centre of the racecourse is the Old Golf Course, Musselburgh Links. It hosted six Open championships between 1874 and 1889.

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