WITH the sun beating down and the temperature nudging 20 degrees, yesterday was the ideal day for a trip to the sand. Normally, in Newcastle, that means heading to Tynemouth or Whitley Bay. Now, though, it is possible to swap buckets for betting slips, parasols for the parade ring.

The Northern Echo:

Two-and-a-half years after plans for an all-weather circuit at Gosforth Park were first unveiled, yesterday witnessed the inaugural meeting on Newcastle’s new Tapeta surface. The switch remains controversial, and the sight of a field of horses charging down the sandy straight doesn’t necessarily sit easily with the 134-year history of a course that first staged the Northumberland Plate in 1882.

But time moves on, and the growth of the all-weather has been one of racing’s key developments since Lingfield and Southwell became Britain’s first non-turf courses in 1989. Until yesterday, the North had missed out. Not anymore.

“It’s a bit like you’re in Dubai,” joked one racegoer as he watched the field for the first race flash by while leaning on the stands rail. “Aye,” agreed his friend. “But it’s a canny bit easier to get a drink here.”

It will take time for things to settle down, but with 16 more all-weather fixtures planned for the remainder of the year, Newcastle’s owners, the Arena Racing Company, are clearly determined to make a success of their switch from turf.

It has cost £12m to redevelop the racecourse, with 48,000 tonnes of turf and soil having been removed before 61,000 tonnes of tarmac was laid and 18,000 tonnes of Tapeta was used to cover the track.

Tapeta is described as “specifically blended fibres, waxes, PVC and sand up to a depth of seven inches”. There were buckets of the stuff surrounding the winners’ enclosure, enabling the public to get up close and personal with the surface. Think a kids’ sand pit with some old bits of carpet thrown in, and you won’t be far off.

The Northern Echo:

Horses like running on it though, and that’s the main thing. There was a lot of talk about how the surface would ride in the build-up to yesterday’s opening meeting, but the general consensus after racing was that it was fair to all runners and didn’t result in the kick-back that has proved so controversial at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford in particular.

“The feedback has been positive and we’re obviously delighted with that,” said clerk of the course James Armstrong. “It’s been an extremely quick turnaround, and considering the amount of rain we had at the start of the year that threatened to hold things up a bit, everyone has done a fantastic job.

“Full credit to Stobart’s for doing the work – they’ve delivered on budget and on time, and that’s all you can ask. They’ve done a great job.

“We’re really pleased with the support we’ve had – to get more than 100 entries for the first meeting was great. It’s particularly nice to be supported by those who were maybe a bit sceptical, but if you put on decent racing on a lovely galloping track, you’ll eventually win people round.”

The campaign for a Northern all-weather track stretches back the best part of a decade, but Catterick was initially put forward as most trainers’ preferred location, partly because of geography but also because Newcastle’s turf Flat course was regarded as one of the best and fairest in the country.

Mark Johnston described the loss of Newcastle’s turf circuit as “an absolute travesty”, while Hugo Palmer described the switch to all-weather as “one of the greatest sadnesses in the history of the sport.” Yet the former claimed yesterday’s feature race courtesy of 4-1 shot Turbine and the latter brought two horses from his Newmarket base. As Kevin Costner will attest thanks to his Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”

“My criticism was always about the loss of the turf track because I thought it was the best in the country,” said Johnston. “I never had any doubt that it was going to be a good all-weather track here.”

“I think most Northern trainers would have preferred it to be at Catterick, and by the sounds of things, Catterick haven’t given up on their own all-weather plans,” added County Durham trainer Michael Dods. “But this is here now, and we have to support it.

“It’ll help us keep our horses going through the winter, but it’ll also ensure you can run horses through the summer, even if the ground is rock hard. The horse I ran in the first race wouldn’t have been able to run on turf because the ground would have been too firm for him – but he came out here, on a lovely surface, and the race has barely left a mark.”

The horse in question, Kings Gold, almost became Newcastle’s first all-weather winner, but despite a flourishing finish in the Extra Place Betting At 188Bet Maiden Stakes – hardly the kind of title that deserved a place in the record books - he was unable to overhaul long-time leader, Tap The Honey, who claimed the honour instead.

Trained by Leyburn’s Karl Burke and ridden by Joey Haynes, Tap The Honey was one of the horses to have tested the track during the spring. Horses for courses, even in the first race.

“It’s nice to be the first person to ride a winner here,” said Haynes. “It’s only one race, but the early impressions are that you’ll be able to win from anywhere. The track rode nicely and it seemed to be fair for all of us.”

Another notable piece of history came in the Tapeta Footings Handicap, the world’s first all-weather race run over a straight mile. That went to Barwah, trained by Malton’s Peter Niven, who confirmed his Yorkshire Cup winner, Clever Cookie, will be aimed at the Ascot Gold Cup. Even after yesterday’s success, it’s hard to imagine the Royal meeting being switched to sand.