Trainer Fergal O’Brien hoping to win Kelso feature race for second year on trot

The 52-year-old is vying for the two-mile Ladbrokes Herring Queen Series Final Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle’s top prize of £51,440 with Northern Air, carrying the colours of former football manager Harry Redknapp, this time round.

Scheduled for 3pm, that’s a race O’Brien won last year with 6/4 favourite Bonttay, ridden by Paddy Brennan, finishing over two lengths ahead of Selkirk trainer and jockey Stuart and Sam Coltherd’s Midnight Shuffle to land prize money of £26,015.

Returning following a second wind correction operation, Northern Air, a six-year-old bay mare bought for £105,000 in 2023, was a winner last time out in mid-January in maiden hurdle company at Taunton in Somerset, with Liam Harrison riding.

Possible rivals include stable companion Leloopa, David Pipe’s Somerset-trained Walkadina and Hawick handler Ewan Whillans’ Lizzie Luna, a winner at Musselburgh in February with Craig Nichol as jockey.

Barrabool, trained by Berkshire’s Harry Derham, a winner at this month’s Morebattle Hurdle meeting at Kelso with Filibustering, is also among 16 provisional entries.

Saturday’s racecard, offering £268,000 in prize money all together, is part of the Ladbrokes Go North Finals weekend and it’s being broadcast live on ITV.

It’s one of ten finals being staged at Musselburgh and Carlisle as well as Kelso.

Also among the day’s seven races is the £30,000 Ladbrokes Go North Cab on Target Handicap Hurdle series final at 2.25pm and 38 entries are pencilled in for that one at this stage, including Fife trainer Nick Alexander’s Ballyfort, Beat the Retreat and Bel Amigo.

Coltherd, Whillans and fellow Borders trainers Jackie Stephen and Sandy Thomson have also got entries in, respectively Famous Liss; Galahad Threepwood and Luminaries; Guernesey; and I Am Max and Marty McFly.

The fixture concludes with the Racing Post Go North Jodami Series Final Open National Hunt Flat Race series final at 4.45pm, offering a top prize of £15,609, and its provisional field of 16 includes They’re Chancers, a winner at Ayr in January for Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards in the colours of Borders owners Paul and Clare Rooney.

Gates open at 11am and the day’s first race is off at 1.15pm.

Entries for that opener, the three-mile-two-furlong Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed on Racing Handicap Chase, offering a top prize of £18,210, include Coltherd's Breakdance Kid and Universal Folly, Thomson’s Mr Incredible and Whillans’ Prince des Fichaux.

Tickets cost £23 in advance or £28 on the day. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/events/party-in-the-paddock-2025/