RACEGOERS can get into the mood for the Cheltenham Festival on Monday, when Taunton Racecourse hosts the William Hill Race Meeting.

The seven-race card has almost £62,500 up for grabs in prize money, whetting the appetite for Cheltenham (March 12-15).

The action gets underway with The Racing TV Handicap Hurdle Race over three miles, going to post at 2.30pm, which is followed half an hour later by The William Hill Maiden Hurdle Race, over two miles and half a furlong.

Next up is the The William Hill Mares’ Handicap Hurdle Race over two miles and half a furlong, which is due off at 3.30pm and has a generous £9.3k on offer in prizes.

The feature race on the card is the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed at  Cheltenham Handicap Chase over a distance of three miles four furlongs and 85 yards at 4pm, is worth a very generous £9, 357 to the winning connections.

Achille trained by Venetia Williams under seven pound claimer Hugh Nugent is likely to be well fancied, as is Samuel Jackson, trained by Richard Mitford-Slade and ridden by James Best.

However two horses that may be well worth consideration are the Unioniste from Paul Nicholls yard under amateur David Maxwell, a five pound claimer, who is returning after a 10-month lay off and Regal Flow, last year’s winner, trained by Bob Buckler and ridden this time out by Bryon Frost.

The William Hill Handicap Hurdle Race, over two miles three furlongs, is another race with a prize fund of £9.3k, and it follows at 4.30pm.

The penultimate action is The Racing TV Handicap Steeple Chase over two miles, before the curtain comes down with The William Hill Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, over two miles and half a furlong at 5.40pm.

A courtesy coach service departs from Taunton Railway Station two hours before the first race and returns from the course 30 minutes after the start of the last.

Punters are reminded that ticket discounts are available if they are purchased online in advance before 10am on the day prior to racing (i.e. Sunday).

To take advantage of the discounts available and for all other information, log on to the Racecourse website.