Cheltenham is filled with fighting talk as Britain's top trainers raise hopes of an upturn in festival fortunes

The year could not have started on a finer stage or in a better mood. The rain eased off, the wind died down and thousands upon thousands of eager fans streamed through the entrances. It really was a marvellous day to be at Cheltenham. Hopes are high that for those representing British jump racing, more such days are just around the corner.

To lack positivity on January 1 would be depressing, yet the enthusiasm that prevails right now is entirely genuine. Across the festive season bumper crowds have watched an array of Christmas crackers. Cheltenham's 33,534 attendance would have been even larger had the morning weather been better, yet there were more than enough folk to pack the grandstands. Encouragingly for the future, a chunky percentage looked to be no older than twentysomething.

What they witnessed was a series of wins for familiar names who walked with springs in their step, none more so than Paul Nicholls, still buzzing from seeing No Drama This End's bumper romp on Tuesday and now revved up further by an easy victory for Kalif Du Berlais against two rivals in Cheltenham's card-opening novice chase.