We’re very lucky in Gloucestershire because we get to see some of the best sports stars in the country – and indeed the world – strutting their stuff on some of the biggest stages.

Think Jump racing, rugby and cricket; and in February sports fans are in for another treat because the leading players from the world of snooker will be heading to The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse to take part in the Coral World Grand Prix.

It will take place from 4th-10th of February and among those set to take part are Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Judd Trump.

And there’s local interest too because Cheltenham’s rising star Jack Lisowski is also among the top 32 ranked players who are qualified to play.

“We’re delighted to be working with world snooker,” said Sophia Dale, communications manager – South West Region, Jockey Club Racecourses.

“It’s the first time we’ve had snooker tables in situ at The Centaur.”

The Coral World Grand Prix is one of the bigger events on the snooker calendar and as such all the big names from the world of snooker will be there alongside O’Sullivan et al.

There will be one main table in The Centaur and crowds of more than 2,000 will be able to watch each afternoon and evening session.

At the moment the tournament is being held at the racecourse for this year only but Dale said: “If it goes well we’d love to have discussions about doing it again next year.”

Cheltenham Racecourse is, of course, the top Jump racecourse in the world but holding events outside of racing is certainly nothing new.

“The non-racing side of the business is really big, really important,” said Dale. “We only race 16 days of the year which means there are 340-odd days when there is no racing.

“The Centaur is a fantastic facility and it offers a huge variety of opportunities. In the past, firms have held staff briefings or their AGMs there, we’ve had trade fairs, art fairs, comedians, a whole range of activities.”

They’ve also held other sports events at the racecourse including the Rally of Great Britain back in the 1990s. More recently they have been home to some top-level darts with the Cheltenham Masters, which attracts the like of Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson, scheduled to take place at the start of April.

Dale, on her own admission, is no snooker expert – horses are much more her thing – but she is looking forward to watching the stars from another sport weave their magic at the racecourse.

“It will be good to learn something about a sport I don’t know much about,” she said. “It’s a bit different from what we normally do but we will do everything we can to make it a success. I believe it will be very well received.”