Melon looks tasty for Cheltenham return as thaw enables resumption
(The Guardian Sports News)

o Taunton card set for go-ahead with Warwick and Newcastle hopefulo Willie Mullins´s Melon backed into 9-4 top price for International HurdleThe National Hunt season has been all but stopped in its tracks since Saturday but at least one - and possibly all three - of Thursday´s jumps cards should go ahead as planned as a thaw arrives just in time for Cheltenham´s two-day meeting this weekend.Only Taunton, about 80 miles south-west of Cheltenham, has not called an inspection before racing on Thursday morning, while officials at both Warwick and Newcastle will inspect their tracks at 8am. The New course at Cheltenham, though, would have been raceable on Wednesday, according to Simon Claisse, the clerk of the course, despite total precipitation - rain and snow combined - of 48mm since Saturday night. Continue reading...