Back to blogging

So, I’m back.  For now, at least.  I don’t know how long this will last, or how well it will work.  I’m not going to bother explaining all of the reasons I’ve not been blogging for so long, but the major ones are:

a)      Divorce

b)      Being too skint to visit racecourses (see (a))

c)      Losing confidence in my critical faculties and concentration (see (a))

d)      Trying some new things (in particular, placepot perming and pedigree stuff – and an increased interest in flat racing)

e)      A new and, until recently, unmanageable job

f)       Learning a lot by keeping my mouth shut and my eyes open (a dramatic change in character for me, as you’ll agree) from bloggers who know far more than me.

g)      TIME (see (e), and, of course (a)).

Now, though, I’m back, armed with fresh enthusiasm for this wonderful sport, a new girlfriend who actually gives a crap about racing, and a bulging notebook of horses to follow coming out of the jumping festivals and the start of the season. 

So, what will the new blog look like?  Much like the old one, to be honest.  I’m sticking with the features that I enjoyed most, and that were most popular – the ante-post portfolio, and the list of horses to follow.  I’m also planning to do a bit more “link and respond” stuff to bloggers I like.  I hope to do a few more book review type pieces, and will, of course, do course/race reports whenever I visit the track.  I won’t bother with too many “today’s tips” type pieces, because better punters than me have saturated the market, but I might be arrogant enough to post some “how I punt” type pieces in quiet moments.  I’ll also, of course, be doing requests.

Today, I've posted the contents of my notebook.  You'll find it all below.