The 4 day festival starts on Boxing day and is generally very well attended but it cannot even have a capped 5000 crowd.

The current Covid problems have led officials to close the course to the public since they would find it too difficult to have enough staff to run the meeting with an audience.

The main feature of the first day is the Racing Post Trophy Novice Chase Gr 1 with 6 runners.  Willie Mullins seems to have a strong hand here with Ferny Hollow on 10/11 and Paul Townend on board and we rather like Grand Bernard on 16/1, to be ridden by Bryan Hayes.