As dusk settles over the North East on Friday evening, Newcastle Racecourse will be set to stage a high-octane spectacle under the floodlights, with Friday Night Live 2026 shaping up as one of the most compelling midwinter cards of the season. From 4:30pm through to 8:30pm, nine flat races will unfold in rapid succession, blending depth, quality, and atmosphere in a programme designed for prime-time racing. At the heart of the evening will sit the Sports Handicap, a fiercely competitive Class 3 sprint carrying a winner’s share of £28,347, anchoring a card that promises sustained intensity from start to finish.
The action will begin promptly at 4:30pm with Race 1 – Friday Night Live With SBK Handicap, a Class 5 contest for three-year-olds over 1m5y. With seven runners set to line up and £7,851 awaiting the winner, this opener will be expected to set the tone, testing developing profiles under lights that demand composure as much as raw ability.
Momentum will build at 5:00pm with Race 2 – The Bull Handicap (Div I), a Class 5 event for four-year-olds and upward over 7f14y. Nine runners will be tasked with navigating a tactical distance before Race 3 – The Bull Handicap (Div II) follows at 5:30pm, bringing eight more contenders into focus over the same trip and conditions. Both divisions, each offering £7,851 to the winner, will underline Newcastle’s reputation for producing tightly matched handicaps that reward timing and track craft.
Speed will take centre stage as the evening progresses into Race 4 – SBK: Don’t Settle For Less Handicap (Div I) at 6:00pm, where eleven runners will charge over the sharp 5f sprint distance. Its companion contest, Race 5 – SBK: Don’t Settle For Less Handicap (Div II) at 6:30pm, will mirror that intensity, again featuring eleven runners and the same £7,851 winner’s share, ensuring little room for error in back-to-back dashes that will keep the tempo high.
The spotlight will then firmly shift to the feature at 7:00pm with Race 6 – Sports Handicap, a Class 3 event over 5f for four-year-olds and upward, drawing a deep field of fourteen runners. With £28,347 at stake, this race will stand as the evening’s defining contest.
A wide-ranging group of fourteen contenders will bring proven speed and contrasting styles, including Venture Capital under Shane Gray for Kevin Ryan, Badri partnered by Jason Hart for Michael Herrington, and the Robert Cowell-trained pair Fahrenheit Seven with Tom Marquand and Rhythm N Hooves ridden by Marco Ghiani. Paddy’s Day for Nigel Tinkler, Heavenly Heather for Tracy Waggott, and The Caltonian from Linda Perratt’s yard will add further intrigue, while Air Force One, Pilgrim, Apache Outlaw, Elegant Erin, Mr Lightside, Strong Warrior, and Vingegaard will ensure the sprint unfolds at relentless pace from gate to line.
Following the feature, the card will maintain its depth with Race 7 – Feed Handicap at 7:30pm, a Class 4 contest over 1m5y featuring twelve runners and a winner’s share of £18,319. The penultimate race, Race 8 – Podcast Handicap at 8:00pm, will return to the 7f14y distance with another full field of twelve in a similarly valued Class 4 event.
The evening will draw to a close at 8:30pm with Race 9 – SBK Handicap, a six-furlong Class 4 contest where twelve runners will contest the final £18,319 prize of the night, ensuring Friday Night Live 2026 concludes at full throttle.
With competitive depth across all nine races, a marquee sprint at its core, and the unmistakable atmosphere of floodlit racing, Newcastle Racecards 6 February will see a day fully primed to deliver a polished, high-energy showcase worthy of its prime-time billing.
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