M for meaty debate as panel don't hold back on festival thoughts

There's no sitting on the fence. Strong opinions are delivered in a forthright manner and no festival favourite is beyond reproach. Except Paisley Park, of course.

We are at M, a stylish restaurant in the heart of the City, and around 225 of us are here to learn what Barry Geraghty, Mick Fitzgerald, Rishi Persad and our own Paul Kealy fancy – and don't fancy – at Cheltenham next week. Kealy is in particularly feisty mood.

It's a Racing Breaks event, in conjunction with Sporting Index, and there's a warm welcome. There's steak and chips first, and the preview starts when the plates have been cleared.