THE Cheltenham Festival, the highlight of the National Hunt racing season, is just round the corner. The four day festival begins on Tuesday, March 13, and ends with Gold Cup Day on Friday, the 16th, writes Richard Walsh..

To have a winner at the Festival is every racehorse trainer’s dream and even though David Pipe, whose yard is situated at Nicholashayne up in the hills on the Devon and Somerset border not far from Wellington, has already notched up several winners there, he is hoping to add to his tally in 2018.

Looking ahead to Cheltenham the trainer said: “All of the horses have had a decent preparation, and its so close and yet so far away, especially the way that the weather has been recently. Its just a case of ticking them over now and trying to avoid any silly accidents

“So far in my career I have had 15 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, and it gets tougher every year, but hopefully we will be going there with ten or 12 horses this year and fingers crossed we are successful. Which of his horses did Pipe reckon had the best chance of success? “Our three best chances at Cheltenham this year would be Moon Racer in the Coral Cup or the County Hurdle, King’s Socks in the Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase and Vaniteaux in the Grand Annual Chase.”

Local punters have got a chance to whet their appetite for the Festival when Taunton host the Bathwick Tyres Spring Race Meeting on Monday March 12, when the first of the seven races on the card which boasts almost £63,000 in prizes is due off at 2.20pm.

Racegoers are reminded that if they book their tickets in advance on-line before 10am on the day prior to racing they can take advantage of the generous discounts that are available.

To book tickets and for all further information log onto www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk