LAST month it played host to the finest jockeys and horses in the country. Now it is accommodating a film crew from the TV's Casualty.

Paramedics Jane Hazlegrove and Matt Burdock – alias Jeff and Dixie from the BBC1 show – were at the centre of the action at The Centaur, at Cheltenham racecourse.

The famous building was transformed into Holby International Airport for a dramatic episode of the cult medical series about staff and patients at Holby General's emergency department.

Around 100 cast, extras and crew members touched down at the site, famous for March's National Hunt festival.

The Saturday night must-see programme is set to air on August 6 – but the plot is being left up in the air.

Show producer Anne Edyvean said: "We can't divulge the storyline – we try to keep them confidential. All sorts of things happen at airports, a lot of people come and go, but I can't speculate."

A location manager pinpointed the modernistic Centaur – a multi-purpose venue used for concerts, exhibitions, fairs, conferences and banquets – as the ideal double for an airport.

Anne said: "Obviously real ones are functioning buildings and can't accommodate a film crew.

"This was a lovely open space, perfect for an arrivals hall, with nice room in front for vehicles.

"We put in rows of removable seating, hung up screens with airline destinations, put someone behind an information desk and made another corner into a cafe, with tables and chairs.

"People were dressed as air stewardesses, holidaymakers and policemen.

"We transformed the area in a day and then started shooting, and will finish with a little bit more next week."

Racecourse managing director Edward Gillespie was delighted with the prime-time TV exposure.

"We're thrilled about the filming," he said. "A few years ago we subscribed to a location finder, South West Films, but we dropped that and this time we were approached.

"The foyer of the Centaur already has an arrivals lounge feel, with its modern design and desks.

"Remarkably, racecourses are not infrequently used as locations for airports. Sandown Park, where I worked in the past, has appeared as an airport a few times, most recently in an episode of BBC's Outnumbered, and Epsom was in one of the more recent Bond films."

Mr Gillespie was also staying tight-lipped about the plot.

"We've all been sworn to secrecy, although we've been advised what it is in case we wonder what's going on," he said.

The Centaur, which opened in 2004, can seat 2,250 people.

It has attracted stars including Jools Holland, Lesley Garrett and Elaine Paige, big shows such as the West End's Cats, hosts the Lapada Antique and Fine Art Fair and is one of the venues for Cheltenham Literature Festival.