The week following the Cheltenham Festival sees an inevitable dip in prestige and prize money. However, the action begins to pick up the pace towards the back end of the week with the 2025 edition of the Ladbrokes Go North Festival. Kicking off on Friday and concluding on Sunday, this popular event spreads the action across the northern venues of Musselburgh, Kelso, and Carlisle.
All three days promise a cracking afternoon of National Hunt entertainment, but the pick of the cards, in terms of quality, comes at the Borders venue of Kelso on Saturday afternoon.
Mares Take Centre Stage in Feature Events
The Listed class Ladbrokes ‘Big-Value You Can Bet On’ Mares’ Hurdle tops the bill from a class perspective, but the most valuable event on the card is the Ladbrokes Herring Queen Series Final Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Herring Queen Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle 2025 Prize Money
| Race Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | £51,440 |
| 2nd | £23,650 |
| 3rd | £11,830 |
| 4th | £5,910 |
| 5th | £2,960 |
| 6th | £1,470 |
| 7th | £740 |
| 8th | £370 |
Held over 2m, this Class 2 handicap hurdle debuted in 2022 and offers £100,000 in guaranteed prize money – over £50,000 of which goes to the winner. That’s excellent money for a race of this type and all but guarantees a competitive field. Looking ahead to the 2025 edition, we have a dozen mares set to go to post on the day, headed by a runner from the yard of the trainer who landed the most recent edition of this in 2023.
Wind Procedure Benefits Northern Air
Fergal O’Brien claimed the 2023 edition of this with a handicap debutante running off a mark of 110. Bonttay was the winning mare that day, and in 2025, the Gloucestershire handler bids to follow that winning formula to the letter with Northern Air.
Very comfortable indeed 😌
Bonttay saunters in to win the BetVictor Herring Queen Series Final Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle 🥇#ITVRacing | @KelsoRacecourse⁰ | @paddybrennan27 | @fergalobrien07 pic.twitter.com/MdweVgaZ1h
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 25, 2023
Unlike Bonttay, who rattled off a hattrick on her first three starts for O’Brien, Northern Air has taken a little longer to find her feet under rules. A first wind operation in June 2024 failed to do the trick, but a second procedure in December 2024 may well have worked the oracle.
Having failed to win any of her first four starts under rules, Northern Air appeared to take a significant step forward last time out at Taunton. Despite a couple of sticky jumps, the mare posted a career-best effort en route to a comfortable 1½l success. Now qualified for handicaps, she has been handed a mark of 110 for this big race assignment. If following in the hoofprints of her race-winning stablemate Bonttay, who progressed to a rating of 123, she may have a little something up her sleeve from the handicapper.
If Northern Air fails to hit the mark, O’Brien has a strong second string to his bow with the five-year-old mare Leloopa. Already a dual winner over hurdles, this one earned favourable comparisons with stable star Dysart Enos in November, only to perform below expectations at Ludlow. She needs to bounce back from that, but is likely to be one of the more popular each-way options at a double-figure price.
Surrey Travels from Yorkshire to Head the Opposition
Sire Golden Horn enjoyed a notable week at the Cheltenham Festival, thanks to the surprise win of Golden Ace in the Champion Hurdle and the 100/1 shocker of Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle. Just over a week after that latter victory, he bids to hit the mark with Surrey Belle, who is prominent in the market for this big Saturday event.
Formerly based with Hughie Morrison, where she won one of nine outings on the flat, Surrey Belle has already doubled that winning tally over jumps. Now taking up residence at the North Yorkshire operation of Adrian Paul Keatley, she is yet to finish outside of the first two in four outings over hurdles. Having broken her duck at Uttoxeter, she was last sighted claiming a Novice event at Newcastle by a resounding 57 lengths. Labelled as a potential 130-rated hurdler by her trainer on the back of that, she gets in off 121 here but must cope with top weight of 12st.
Much More than a Two-Horse Race
It is easy to see why punters have latched onto the claims of Northern Air and Surrey Belle. However, they are far from the only contenders who bring an appealing profile to the Scottish Borders. If the O’Brien and Keatley contenders fail in their assignment, the market suggests one of the following trio is most likely to prevail.
- Walkadina – Consistent mare from the David Pipe operation, who has hit the frame in five of six starts under rules. Like Northern Air, she makes her second start following a recent wind operation and posted a solid second on ground softer than ideal last time out at Ludlow
- Barrabool – With a 31% strike rate over the past two weeks, the Harry Derham operation is flying at present and will hope to keep the good times rolling with this daughter of Jack Hobbs. Yet to finish outside of the first two on good ground, she could prove dangerous off an opening mark of 105
- Game Colours – For improving Dorset handler Ben Clarke, this would represent just about the biggest success of his career to date. In Game Colours, he may have the mare to get the job done. Having finished in the first three in all five completed starts over hurdles, she is another who scores highly for consistency and arrives on the back of a runaway victory at Lingfield
Will O’Brien claim back-to-back editions of this interesting contest? Can Golden Horn continue his hot streak? Or will the prize fall to another talented mare in the field? Saturday at 3pm is the time to find out and we’ll be tuning in for sure.