TAUNTON Racecourse get the New Year off to flying start with three meetings in January.

The first is on Wednesday, January 7 when the six race card gets going at 1.40pm.

And there is even more to attract local punters to Taunton’s opening fixture of 2015 with a 2 for 1 offer on Grandstand tickets when bought online before 10am on the day previous to racing.

With a Class 3 event and an Open Hunters’ Steeplechase on offer, another great afternoon of racing action looks to be in store.

The action starts with the Annual Members 2015 Maiden Hurdle Race over 3m ½f, the longest on the card, followed half an hour later by the Saturday Meeting January 17 National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle over 2m 3½f.

The Victor Phillips Handicap Steeple-chase is next at 2.40pm, run over 2m ½f, and named after a very keen local racing fan.

The big race of the day is the Bathwick Tyres Handicap Hurdle Race (Class 3) over 2m 3½f at 3.10 pm which has a prize pot of £10,000 on offer.

This is followed 30 minutes later by an Open Hunters’ Steeplechase over half a furlong short of 3m, an event that always attracts a large amount of interest.

Racegoers are reminded that a courtesy coach departs from Taunton Railway Station one hour before the first race.

It picking up at the Bus Station on Castle Green, close to the town centre soon afterwards and returning from the course 30 minutes after the start of the last race. From January 17 the coach will only collect and return to the railway station and will not stop at Castle Green.