January isn't such a desolate month - just look what's in store for racing

So here comes January, and with that the realisation for many that the festivities are over and that it's a long time before the daffodils start appearing and the first Cheltenham Festival preview night is staged.

For many it's a month of misery characterised by dark, cold and wet mornings where nothing much happens, but there needn't be such doom and gloom.

Britain is currently experiencing uncharacteristically mild weather, which hopefully means there will be fewer race meeting cancellations than normal at this time of the year, and the jump racing is, in fact, rather good.