The Cheltenham festival for chasers and hurdlers cannot arrive soon enough in western England this week.

After brutal winter weather in the last month that led to days of canceled races, temperatures have finally risen. Still, track crews removed approximately 200 tons of snow from the course in recent weeks.

About 260,000 people are expected to descend on the small town of Cheltenham, 100 miles west of London, for four days of racing Tuesday through Friday, even though rain is forecast each day.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS

(Sunday, March 11, 2018)

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis

RACE 1: #1 Flying Noble, #5 Torney, #2 Good Method, #11 Winning Boy

RACE 2: #4 Destin, #1 Golden Dash, #3 Shanghai Dragon, #11 Formula Galore

RACE 3: #3 King Genki, #5 People's Knight, #7 Beauty Prince, #1 Fight Hero

RACE 4: #11 Presidentparamount, #13 Good Choice Ahead, #9 Bingo, #4 Noble De Love

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner and Kentucky Derby hopeful Mendelssohn is expected to race for the first time as a 3-year-old Friday night at Dundalk in Ireland.

Gronkowski won the Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes on Wednesday at Kempton Park in England, and became the co-leader in points on the European Road to the Kentucky Derby.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, March 7)

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis

Brett Davis
Race 1: 4-9-6-1
Race 2: 2-5-4-3
Race 3: 6-2-10-4
Race 4: 9-6-5-11
Race 5: 2-4-5-1
Race 6: 11-1-7-4
Race 7: 5-12-2-9
Race 8: 5-7-1-6
Best Bet - Race 7: #5 Smart Boy  
Longshot - Race 8: #1 Hang's Decision
Best Play - Race 8: Q/QP 1,5,7

If Talismanic handles the Meydan Racecourse dirt track as well as he got over the Polytrack at Chantilly on Tuesday, he could be a major player March 31 in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Talismanic comfortably won the Prix Darshaan on Tuesday at Chantilly, coming home 1 ¾ lengths in front of Cloth of Stars, who was getting in a run preparing for the $6 million Sheema Classic on the World Cup undercard. Both horses are owned by Godolphin and trained by Andre Fabre.

HAPPY VALLEY SELECTIONS

(Wednesday, March 7, 2018)

:: Hong Kong: Free PPs, picks, and analysis

RACE 1: #9 Celebration, #6 Glenealy Prize, #4 Megatron, #8 Sweet Bean

RACE 2: #2 Ivictory, #5 Fantastic Eight, #3 California Whip, #1 My Darling

RACE 3: #6 Garlic Yeah, #11 Midnite Promise, #2 Happy Rocky, #1 Cloud Nine

RACE 4: #11 Nashashuk, #8 Applause, #7 Hero Time, #9 Clear Choice

A three-race winning streak since mid-July has pushed Ivictory into tougher company in Hong Kong’s competitive handicap races.

Ivictory is unbeaten in two starts this year, and is likely to be favored in Wednesday’s $237,484 Flame Tree Handicap at six furlongs on turf at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong. Ivictory certainly has the right connections in Hong Kong’s leading trainer and jockey: John Size and Joao Moreira.

Salem bin Ghadayer, one of the leading trainers in the United Arab Emirates this season, has been suspended for one year by the Emirates Racing Authority for a positive drug test.

The win streak has reached 23, and the Group 1 wins number 16. Winx, the two-time Australian Horse of the Year, had a brilliant start to her 2018 season with an easy win in Saturday’s Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.