Fans had a week to remember at Cheltenham Racecourse as the town’s first-ever major snooker tournament came to a dramatic close.

After a week of action, drama and upsets, the venue has been championed by both fans and players after being the host venue for the Coral World Grand Prix.

Judd Trump scored an impressive victory in the final over Ali Carter in The Centaur and the racecourse and its auditorium more than lived up to expectations.

Ivan Hirschowitz, of World Snooker, said: “Cheltenham Racecourse is a fantastic venue with great facilities in a beautiful part of the world.

“A lot of the players have commented on this, including Stuart Bingham and world champion Mark Williams who both posted on social media saying what a stunning place Cheltenham Racecourse is.

“We saw a few big shocks like Marco Fu knocking out Ronnie O’Sullivan and Yuan SiJun beating Mark Williams, and plenty of dramatic matches.

“The most important factor is how well snooker is supported by the local fans and we have been very pleased to see good crowds and a fantastic atmosphere throughout the week.”

Judd Trump claimed his 10th ranking title, defeating Ali Carter 10-6 in the final, and winning the £100,000 purse.

Hirschowitz added: “The standard on the World Snooker Tour is higher than ever as we are witnessing a golden era in the sport.

“But Judd Trump has been the man in form in recent weeks so it’s no surprise that he was so hard to stop.

“We’d like to thank all of our partners on this event for their support and hope the fans have enjoyed the action.”

Lee Moulson, Regional Head of Sales at Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “The atmosphere in The Centaur has been absolutely fantastic throughout the week and there has been no shortage of highlights for fans to enjoy.

“Bringing a ranking event here for the first time has had everyone working extremely hard behind the scenes, and I think that’s showed in how successful the past week has been.

“I think the players have really enjoyed being here, and hopefully we can have them back in the near future for another high-profile event.

“I’d like to thank all the fans for coming along and helping to make the Coral World Grand Prix a huge success for everyone involved.”