Out with the old, in with the new: Stage Star the main attraction as Cheltenham welcomes Premier racing era

Hours after we ring out the passing year to the strains of Auld Lang Syne, Cheltenham will be the venue where most racing fans choose to celebrate the arrival of the new. 

And for a sport which has long traded on the reassurance of familiarity, this is a meeting that will put the accent on the novel. 

Unless you've been deliberately sheltering from the storms of racing politics you will at least be aware that January 1 marks the start of Premier meetings in Britain, though it's possible a parallel project to streamline the jumps Pattern book did escape your attention.