Last year's Festival action was partly overshadowed by the storms which hit the course and forced the second day of racing to be called off.

Winds of over 50mph caused structural damage and made the tented hospitality area unsafe.

It forced organisers to abandon Wednesday's racing on safety grounds, spoiling the plans of race-goers and causing a logistical nightmare.

However, the weather improved and the card was run across Thursday and Friday, but organisers will be hoping to avoid a repeat this year.