All eyes will be firmly fixed on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival which is the highlight of any racing season, writes Richard Walsh.

The Festival gets underway on Tuesday, March 10 and the 2020 four-day gathering of the great and the good of the National Hunt racing world will see the best chasers and hurdlers competing in the most prestigious races of the season, culminating with the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, March 13.

On the evening of Friday March 6, the Orchard Portman course will be hosting a Cheltenham Festival Preview Evening starting at 7pm, when a panel consisting of Philip Hobbs, David Pipe, Harry Derham, Tom Scudamore and Tom Malone will share their thoughts on some of the runners in the upcoming big event.

Tickets for what is always and interesting and enjoyable evening cost £10 in advance, available from www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk or £12.50 on the door.

Local punters can get right into the mood ahead of the four big days at Taunton's next meeting The William Hill Race Day on Monday, March 9, when the racing action, which has a total prize fund of £58,512, gets underway at 2.20pm.

Free tickets are available for racing on March 9, which must be applied for on-line in advance before midnight on March 1, by logging onto www.taunton racecourse.co.uk. After that date entry will revert back to £16 per person.

The week following Taunton host their St Patrick's Race Day on Thursday March 17, when the first race is due off at 2.15pm. To celebrate this special day there will be a Guiness Bar and an authentic Irish Band playing throughout the afternoon.

Ladies Day is next up at Taunton on Thursday, April 2, when the racing action gets going at 2.10pm. This is always a hugely popular fixture on the racing calendar, with the winner of the Best Dressed Lady competition walking away with a Weekend in Paris for Two, generously sponsored by Dave Criddle Travel.

On Saturday, April 4 at Aintree, it's the Grand National, the other highlight of the jumps racing season.

However, local racegeors don't need to travel to the north west to join in with the spirit of the big day because Taunton Racecourse are hosting a Grand National Lunch .

For £30 per person, punters can sit in the Orchard Restaurant which enjoys fantastic views, and enjoy a welcome drink, a two course luncheon and afternoon tea, and take in the full coverage of the feature and supporting races, use the services of the in-house bookmaker and take part in the Champion Tipster competition.

Just in case that isn't enough to tempt you , then Mr Martin Higgs (aka Higgs on Horses) will be hosting the event. Tickets can be booked by calling 01823 337172 (option 2) or on-line at [http://www.tauntonracecourse,co.uk]www.tauntonracecourse,co.uk

The racing season at Taunton concludes with Evening Meeting on Wednesday, April 22, when the action starts at 5.25pm.