ITV team ready to give it their best shot when the cameras roll at Newcastle

ITV Racing comes to Newcastle on Friday evening with the popular Gosforth Park Cup card – and the broadcasting team cannot wait.

Riding high on the success of its coverage of Sandown's Brigadier Gerard evening card last month, and with a gap in its busy World Cup schedule, the broadcaster has an ideal window to fill with four live races, which will be shown during a two-and-a-half-hour programme on ITV4 starting at 6pm.

Terrestrial coverage of evening racing had been almost unheard of in recent years before Sandown, and ITV controller of sport Mark Demuth explained the appeal of adding the Newcastle date. He said: "We were delighted with how well the Sandown fixture was received and adding Newcastle in among our ITV coverage of FIFA World Cup matches will mean we can cross-promote racing even more."

Mark Demuth: adding in the Newcastle date during the World Cup is an opportunity for cross-promotion

Demuth's enthusiasm is matched by presenter Oli Bell, who said: "It's great that ITV is adding a Friday night to the repertoire and it underlines our commitment to racing.

"There's no World Cup match on, and it's a great way to start the weekend off before going out to celebrate England's progress beyond the group stage."

He added: "I've never worked at Newcastle, but I've been racing there a few times and it's always been very enjoyable. It tends to be a lively, fun crowd and Friday night will be the end of the working week and the start of the weekend for many people. I'm really excited about it. "

Bell, who will be spared the embarrassment of having to present live while the Richard Fahey-trained Odds On Oli performs in the evening's opening race, added: "Pitmen's Derby weekend is massive in Newcastle and everyone is rightly proud of the prestige the Northumberland Plate enjoys.

"The Friday night card is a little bit more laid back, a little bit lower-key, but the two feature races are decent and we can go back on air on Saturday having set up what the weekend is all about."

More Mischief wins the Group 3 fillies' race last year under Graham LeeCredit: JOHN GROSSICK (racingpost.com/photos)

Bell added: "We want to showcase on ITV as much racing and as many racecourses as we can, and I don't think it matters too much that the first two races are of a lesser quality than you might usually see on the channel. They are certainly competitive enough and they might give one or two smaller yards an opportunity to promote themselves.

"The Stobart Energy Gosforth Park Cup is a really strong handicap, and in the Stobart-backed Group 3 fillies' races there will be formlines to horses we saw winning at Royal Ascot last week, with Four White Socks, who I know Luca Cumani thinks a lot of, having been second to the Sandringham winner Agrotera."

Clerk of the course James Armstrong is looking forward to having ITV at Newcastle for the track's biggest evening fixture of the year, and does not anticipate its presence having a detrimental effect on attendance.

He said: "It's a busy weekend for us and it's all looking good. The card has been enhanced since last year, with the Hoppings Fillies' Stakes upgraded by the European Pattern Committee from Listed to Group 3, and the supporting Gosforth Park Cup is always a strong race. We're expecting a crowd of around 8,000."

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