Plodding along

It's been a funny start to the year for me punting wise; keeping my head above water but with just small bets. Take yesterday for example, the wife was out so it was in front of Racing UK & ATR for the afternoon with the laptop on and punting in most races, a couple of winners, a dozen or so losers and a bit down. So nothing to write home about; one good thing though was to discover Tanya's blog on the Racing UK website where she talked about her "better half" going off to Sandown where he particularly fancied one (it was a loser.)

I can imagine Miss Stevenson spending most of her afternoons glued in front of the racing but she is also mad keen on cricket and you certainly get a flavour of all this from her blog - plus she puts up pointers for the day with what I hope will be some good clues in the months ahead. It's well worth a look at www.racinguk.com/blogs/tanya-stevenson. Certainly far more informative that anything on this blog or many others!

Can't make Home Park today for Argyle V Colchester which is a great shame as the club is teetering on the edge of oblivion unless a buyer is found in the next couple of weeks. It is a tale of gross mismanagement and our future is now in the hands of Peter Ridsdale who is acting as an unpaid consultant to try to get new investors. Ridsdale has plenty of detractors from his time at Leeds & Cardiff but at the moment he seems our only hope and if he ends up taking over the club with some others then I don't think he can do worse than the current board who have led us to the precipice. In my absence from Home Park I've managed to persuade a mate of mine who hasn't been to a game all season to go along but am not giving him my season ticket to use; the club has cut prices for the game and they need every penny.

Back to the punting and I've had the chance of a good study this morning and have come up with Fistral Beach at Kempton in the RP Chase and the slogger Glies Cross for the Eider Chase at Newcastle. Tom Segal on the Morning Line said the going stick was off the radar at Newcastle where it was softer than the Atlantic and this will be a real test.

Cheltenham on the way so funds needed for the annual battle - can't wait!

New year new hope

Well, what a wretched punting period this has been for Westcoast. The enforced absence from betting through the snow did nothing to kill off the virus which has been afflicting my betting for ages and with the few measly bets I've had since it's all come back it's clear things are no better.

I must admit though that it's been difficult to get down to some proper study such has been my lack of confidence and lack of enthusiasm for continuing to see all my bookie accounts disappearing down the drain. It's not helped by being regaled regularly by my pal John about how superbly well his punting has been going and today he tried to help me out by emailing over his bet of the day which I didn't even see until after the damn thing had won at Wolverhampton at 5-2.

But are we about to turn a corner? Is the example of That Man Reid and Plymouth Argyle in mounting a superb backs-to-the-wall campaign in the face of a winding up order from the taxman and huge other debts going to inspire a sudden improvement?

At least I'm back studying and this evening have been like a whirling dervish of the form book as I got stuck into the Welsh National. And the excellent news is I have come up with a 20-1 stormer - just the horse to get me back in the game!

The beast in question is Ballyfoy, trained by Jamie Poulton. He has won twice over 3m on heavy and was staying on really well on both occasions but particularly the second time so this trip should be within his reach. His jumping let him down at Newbury on his last chase appearance in March but he was given a nice warm up over the hurdles at Ascot in November.

Yes, this could be the one to get the ball rolling (well, we can all dream...)