The weekends between the Cheltenham festival and Aintree’s Grand National meeting will never be an obvious target for the elite jumping horses but the £550,000 Go North weekend, which is now in its fifth year, offers decent money for horses just below the top rung and the £100,000 Ladbrokes Herring Queen Series Final at Kelso on Saturday is a race in which a case can be made for all 12 runners.
Surrey Belle’s 57-length win at Newcastle last time will probably be enough to send her off favourite, but that was a four-runner race where her main market rival was way below form.
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She is set to carry top weight too and it could be a big ask to concede more than a stone to the lightly raced Barrabool (3.00), who also has the benefit of Alice Stevens taking off a further 3lb.
Kelso 1.15 Ann Hamilton’s Dare To Shout has filled the runner-up’s spot on five of his six starts this year but there is nothing wrong with his application and his run behind Myretown, the Ultima winner at Cheltenham, at this track in February reads well in the context of this race.
Bangor 1.35 Several market leaders have a few questions to answer but the versatile and reliable Homme Public rarely runs a bad race and looks over-priced at around 7-1 based on his victory at Doncaster in December from a 4lb lower mark.
Kelso 1.50 This looks to be at the mercy of Henry Daly’s improving mare Wyenot, whose form behind the useful Jetara at Doncaster in January was franked when the winner ran fourth to Lossiemouth over an inadequate trip at the Cheltenham festival.
Newbury 2.05 Harry Derham’s stable has found a strong vein of form in recent weeks after a difficult first few months of the campaign and the lightly raced Norn Iron looks sure to improve on his close fourth at Doncaster earlier this month now that he steps up in trip.
Kelso: 1.15 Dare To Shout (nb) 1.50 Wyenot 2.25 I Am Max (nap) 3.00 Barrabool 3.35 Flash Du Pistolet 4.10 Rocheval 4.45 Out Of The Woods.
Bangor-on-Dee: 1.35 Homme Public 2.15 Regal And Royal 2.52 As Tears Go By 3.27 Lazy Sunday 4.02 Sunshine Diamond 4.37 Atlantic Lad 5.10 Charming Getaway.
Newbury: 2.05 Norn Iron 2.40 Matterhorn 3.15 Siog Geal 3.50 Don’t Mind If I Do 4.25 Tiddesley Wood 5.00 Javert Allen 5.35 King’s Threshold.
Wolverhampton: 4.18 Mamdoh 4.53 Port Hedland 5.28 Bajan Blue 6.00 Supreme Sovereign 6.30 Magna Grecia Star 7.00 Party Bear 7.30 Sceptic.
Newcastle: 5.15 Rahiebb 5.45 Broken Spear 6.15 Inns Of Fear 6.45 Sandinyourshoes 7.15 Mayo County 7.45 Urban Dandy 8.15 King’s Crown.
Kelso 2.25 I Am Max’s chasing career extended no further than the seventh fence on his debut over the bigger obstacles in October, but his fall there was possibly a blessing in disguise as he remains lightly raced and progressive over timber. Sandy Thomson is a fixture in the trainers’ top three here and the seven-year-old has been kept fresh, presumably with this valuable prize in mind, since finishing a close second in a well-run race at Haydock in January.
Newbury 2.40 There are obvious concerns about Matterhorn’s form in the autumn after a prolific spell on good ground in July and August last year, but he has been given a break since finishing second-last at Ascot in November and remains well handicapped on his best form. With three confirmed frontrunners in the race, the contest could also unfold ideally if Harry Cobden can settle him within striking distance of what promises to be a very strong pace.
Newbury 3.15 Siog Geal has been keeping decent company since her successful hurdling debut at Catterick in December and has managed to creep into this £29,000 contest on what could prove to be a very fair mark, not least as the extra half-mile here looks sure to coax further progress from Fergal O’Brien’s mare.
Kelso 3.25 The switch to front-running tactics brought an improved performance from Flash Du Pistolet at Newcastle earlier this month and he had the race in safe keeping with two fences still to jump. A 6lb rise in the weights looks more than fair and, while the seven-year-old potentially faces a little more competition for the lead here, he could be very difficult to pass if Ross Chapman can get him settled on the pace.
