Newcastle
Date of Review: 2nd September 2026
RCA Reviewers: Dave & Ray
Address: High Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5HP
Website: https://www.newcastle-racecourse.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewcastleRacecourse/ X: https://x.com/NewcastleRaces
Phone: 0191 236 2020
Hotel Accommodation: https://www.trivago.co.uk/en-GB/opr/hotels-near-newcastle-racecourse?search=500-137760
Course Information:
Aerial View – Newcastle Racecourse (Image credited to Google Earth)
Newcastle racecourse has two tracks. On the outer, there is a floodlit, wide, left-handed flat all-weather track (Tapeta), and on the inner, a left-handed turf National Hunt track (jumps). The flat all-weather track, built in 2016, is triangular in shape and features the world's only all-weather straight mile. Due to its width, it is considered well-suited to long-striding, galloping types of horses. The final four furlongs are uphill, which means the need for stamina should not be underestimated; horses and jockeys who go for home early are often collared close to the finishing line.
The jumps course is also triangular in shape, but without the extended straight. Similar to the all-weather track, it has a stiff uphill run in from the home turn to the winning post. It features eleven fences on the steeplechase course, three of them located close together in the home straight, and they are generally considered to be stiff or challenging to jump.
The hurdles course has seven flights per circuit: three round the back, three up the straight, and one down the side of the track. It is considered similar to Cheltenham Racecourse in many ways.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Newcastle Racecourse: The racecourse is located within the 812-acre estate of High Gosforth Park and is only 5 miles north of Newcastle City Centre
Location Map – Newcastle Racecourse
Horse racing in the area dates back to the 17th century, when races were held at nearby Killingworth. The racecourse's most famous and prestigious race, the Northumberland Plate, was first run in 1753. Racing moved to its current location of Gosforth Park in 1882. In more recent times, National Hunt (jumps) racing was introduced in 1951. After peaking in the 1970s, the racecourse's popularity declined, and it was acquired by Northern Racing in 1994. Northern Racing was then acquired by two brothers, David and Simon Reuben, who later merged it with another business they owned, Arena Leisure Plc, to form the Arena Racing Company in 2012. Shortly afterwards, the decision was made to convert the flat racing course to an all-weather track and keep the jumps course turf. As a result, it is now one of the busiest racecourses in Britain and will host 70 fixtures in 2026.
The Northumberland Plate, a flat handicap over just over two miles, is held on the all-weather track in June each year and offers a total prize fund of £150,000. The most prestigious National Hunt race at Newcastle is the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle, run over two miles and with a total prize fund of over £100,000. It is traditionally known as the first leg of the “Triple Crown”, which also includes the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Champion Hurdle, which is run at Cheltenham as part of its four-day racing festival. The Eider Chase, which is run in February, is a Class 2 National Hunt steeplechase run over a marathon 4 miles, 1 furlong and 56 yards, with twenty-six fences to be jumped. The race was first run in 1952 and is considered an important trial for the famous Grand National steeplechase run at Aintree in April.
Location & Course Access: By Road: The racecourse is around 15 minutes from Newcastle city centre. It is easily accessed from the main approach roads, the A1 and A19. The postcode to use in your Sat Nav is NE3 5HP. The racecourse is well signed from approximately two miles out. Follow the brown-and-white tourist board signs to the course. However, be aware that the brown-and-white tourist board signs all say “Gosforth Park,” not “Newcastle Racecourse,” which was its old historical name.
By Rail: Newcastle Central Station (NCL) is the closest mainline station, approximately 6 miles from the course, and a taxi takes around 15 minutes. The nearest Metro Stations are Regent Centre and Four Lane Ends, which are situated two miles from the racecourse. A shuttle bus operates from the Regent Centre and Four Lane Ends metro stations to the racecourse on selected feature racedays throughout the year (shuttle bus times are announced on the racecourse's website before the event).
By Air: The nearest airport to Newcastle Racecourse is Newcastle International (NCL) Airport, which is 8 miles away. Other airports include Leeds/Bradford (LBA), 94 miles away. Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is 129 miles away. Rating: 10/10.
Parking: The racecourse has two free car parks, namely Car park A and Car park B, which are turfed areas located directly across from the main entrance. 10/10.
Pricing: On the day of our visit, it was a Wednesday afternoon flat-racing day with a nine-race card, which doesn’t happen often. There were six Class 6 races. Two Class 5 races and one Class 4 race, so undeniably low-grade/low-quality racing. The price on the day at the gate was £22.50, with a £5.00 concession for OAPs and students (concession pricing is only available on the day at the gate, not when ordering in advance online), and children under 17 go free when accompanied by an adult.
If booked online in advance, tickets with admission to the Grandstand, which gives you full access to the entire racecourse, could be had for £16.50. As with all ARC Ltd.-owned racecourses, there were a number of upgrade/hospitality options, including the “A Day At The Races” package, which got you admission to the Grandstand, a drink, and a pie for £25.50 each. There was also the “Box Hospitality-Classic” offer at £93.00, which included admission, a table in the restaurant, a fish & chips meal, and a racecard (for 15-24 people). The next level was the “Box Hospitality-Private Box” offer for £135.00, which included admission, a table in the restaurant, a three-course buffet lunch, and a racecard (for 15-24 people). Be aware that both options include an additional £ 2.33-per-person “booking fee”.
In our opinion, the advance price of £16.50 a ticket is not unreasonable; the “on the gate” price of £22.50 is. Especially for a fixture with very low-quality racing. Rating: 5/10.
Viewing: Newcastle Racecourse has four different enclosures: the Colonel Porter Stand. The Brandling Stand. The Grandstand and the Final Stand. However, the Final Stand is in total disrepair and has been taped off, making it inaccessible to racegoers.
The Grandstand – Newcastle Racecourse
The first stand we looked at was the Grandstand. It’s the most modern of all of the stands. The upper level is for corporate hospitality customers, so it's not accessible to the common-or-garden racegoer. The lower level consists of around a dozen concrete viewing steps, but shelter or cover from the roof is limited. It does have a few rows of plastic seats at the back, but once again, these are reserved seats only. The next stand we visited was the Brandling Stand, which is located directly in line with the winning post.
The Brandling Stand – Newcastle Racecourse
This is the oldest stand on the racecourse, dating back to the 17th century, and it is a Grade II listed building. It is on two levels, with the upper tier and the back of the first tier reserved for the owners and trainers. Normal racegoers are allowed to access the concrete viewing steps at the front of the stand but be aware that roof cover is extremely limited. If you need protection from the elements for any reason, then this is not the place for you.
Further along to your right (when looking at the racecourse) is the Colonel Porter Stand.
The Colonel Porter Stand – Newcastle Racecourse
This is a large two-tier affair, with the front of the lower tier featuring 12 rows of concrete terracing, and further back, a few rows of green plastic seats. The theme of lack of cover or shelter from the elements continues here, and if you decide to watch the racing from the front of the lower tier, you are totally exposed to the elements. As stated earlier, the Final Stand, located down the home straight and furthest from the winning post, is out of action.
The Final Stand – Newcastle Racecourse
From the look of it when we visited, this has been the case for some time, and it looks like it will remain so well into the future. It really is in a poor state of disrepair, and you do have to wonder why the owners of the racecourse (Arena Racing Company) have allowed it to get into such a state.
Unfortunately, we have to report that the overall viewing experience at Newcastle Racecourse is, in our opinion, poor regardless of what stand or viewing area you are in. In a race of 1 mile and 2 furlongs, the horses are out of sight for 36% of the time (yes, we timed it) when they go behind some large trees halfway down the back straight and are only seen again as they approach the final bend heading into the home straight, which is not good. There is a large TV screen situated just after the winning post, and it is badly needed. Rating: 6/10.
Parade Ring / Winners’ Enclosure: The winners' enclosure is roughly oval-shaped and decent in size. It is located in front of the Colonel Porter Stand. It is turfed and enclosed by a well-shorn hedge along the outside of it. It did have a couple of planter boxes in the centre next to the raised platform area, but, in our opinion, it could have done with a few more shrubs, hanging baskets, and/or plants to brighten it up a tad.
The Parade Ring – Newcastle Racecourse
The winners’ enclosure is at the front of the ring with places reserved for the first four horses home. There is a raised platform viewing area, but we think the best vantage point is up in the Colonel Porter Stand, where you get a very good, close-up, elevated view of the proceedings. Rating: 6/10.
Bookmakers / Betting Facilities: On the day of our visit, the main bookmakers ring was situated directly in front of the Brandling Stand.
Bookmakers – Newcastle Racecourse
When we say “main bookmakers ring”, there were 8 bookies in attendance plying their trade, which, to be fair, was more than ample for the sparse crowd in attendance on the day. There are also several Tote and Britbet concessions in the Blaydon Bar/catering area. Rating: 10/10.
Catering: Here at Racecourse Advisor, we enjoy doing “racecourse reviews” rather than restaurant reviews. We do not pretend to be food critics. We aim to provide you with an overview of the culinary options and prices available at the racecourse on race days. On the day of our visit, the only food and drink outlets open were in The Blaydon Bar, which is at the back and on the bottom of the grandstand hall.
The Blaydon Bar – Newcastle Racecourse
Here they were serving pints of Kronenbourg 1664 at £7.55 a pint. Guinness was £7.90 a pint. Carlsberg and Shipyard Ale were £6.60 a pint, and Somersby Blackberry Cider was £7.55. All spirits were £5.30. White, red and rosé wine were £5.90 for a 125ml glass, £7.90 for a 175ml glass or £30.00 for a bottle. In our opinion, those prices are close to the top end relative to the vast majority of other racecourses we have visited in recent times. The food and catering outlet (singular) was at the back of the Blaydon Bar area. There was also a traditional chippy and a pizza joint, but both were closed on the day of our visit
The Blaydon Bar Food Area – Newcastle Racecourse
Here, they were serving a selection of hot and cold food, including jacket potatoes with various fillings for £6.90 each. Pizzas for £13.00 and £15.00 a pop. They also had the Piglets pie of the day, which was steak and ale for £5.95, with an additional £2.00 each for a serving of mushy peas and gravy. £2.00 for a drop of gravy! There's no way they would get away with that in Yorkshire.
They also had a selection of cold sandwiches for £4.60 each, along with a variety of teas and coffees. We did indulge and sampled the steak & ale pie with mushy peas and gravy, and to be honest, we wished we hadn’t. It was all lukewarm and tepid and not very tasty at all. Not recommended.
Overall, the drinks were relatively expensive. The food selection was limited, and the less said about the pie, peas and gravy, the better. Rating: 5/10.
Guinness Standard: Draught Guinness was served at the Blaydon Bar and was £7.90 a pint – ouch! That is more expensive than the Cheltenham Festival. It was served in those flimsy plastic cups where you need at least two to be doubled up before you can pick it up without spilling it all over the place.
Friendliness of Course Staff: We didn’t have much interaction with the course staff, but on the occasions we did, they were friendly, helpful and polite. Rating: 8/10.
Pros & Cons: For us, the pros are the location and access to the racecourse, but the signage at the main entrance could be improved; unless you know exactly where you are going, it is very easy to drive straight past it and have to double back. The cons are the ticket pricing at the gate. £22.50 for a card serving up six Class 6 races is, in our opinion, expensive (we paid £19.00 to get into Ascot Racecourse a couple of months ago).
The viewing of the horses when racing is poor, regardless of what stand you are in or what vantage point you have. The food and catering options were poor, and the quality of the food on offer was questionable.
There was also no internet signal on the racecourse (see below), which we feel is unacceptable in this day and age.
As always, here at Racecourse Advisor, we ask ourselves at the end of each review: would we return? The answer is very easy: no, we wouldn’t. Newcastle Racecourse has a similar feel to many ARC-owned racecourses we have visited: down-at-heel, tired, and unloved, with little or no investment or interest in maintaining and/or improving the facilities for the racegoers who are actually paying customers.
As we have said previously regarding the Arena Racing Company, in our opinion, to them the racegoers are just an unwanted, inconvenient nuisance. Without them, they could hold the racing behind closed doors, and it would all be so much simpler, easier, and cheaper, which is a very sad reflection on the state of affairs for the British horse racing industry.
Overall Racecourse Advisor Rating: 7.2/10.
Wi-Fi/Internet Connection: A free ARC Wi-Fi connection was supposed to be available, but on the day of our visit it wasn’t. See the picture below:
Both of our reviewers tried on numerous occasions during the day from various locations on the racecourse, but the result was the same.
The entire day's racing results can be found here: https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/meeting/2026-09-02/newcastle/121127
Facilities & Location Map - Newcastle Racecourse: (Image acknowledged & credited to the Arena Racing Corporation Ltd.)
Disclaimer: The reviews contained in this website's content are just the authors' opinions. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to any other group or individual. Any content or opinion provided in our reviews is not intended to malign any party, group, club, organisation, company, individual, or anything whatsoever.
