Has the bird flown away ??

I started Deccan Selections back in 2008

At the time, it was simply an attempt to share my race selections—primarily for Hyderabad races—with fellow punters who were looking for genuine insights rather than random tips. What began as a small effort quickly gained momentum.

And what a journey it was.

The strike rate of my selections in the early years was exceptionally good. Word spread quickly among racing enthusiasts, and soon Deccan Selections became a widely followed blog in racing circles. Page views regularly crossed impressive numbers, and on some race days, traffic would shoot past 20,000 views in a single day.

For someone doing this purely out of passion, that kind of response was deeply satisfying.

Encouraged by the success, I expanded beyond Hyderabad and began covering other racing centers as well. The results remained encouraging, and over time I developed a far more structured approach to handicapping.

This eventually led me to create something I was extremely proud of — a Worksheet, a comprehensive data sheet that covered nearly every important handicapping factor:

• Speed Ratings
• Timeform Ratings
• Merit Ratings
• Comparative performance metrics
• Other critical race indicators used by serious handicappers

At that point, I made a decision that many content creators eventually consider—I moved from free content to a paid subscription model.

Initially, the response was decent. Quite a few subscribers signed up because they recognized the amount of effort and expertise involved in producing quality race analysis.

But slowly, things changed.

Subscribers began declining.

Interest faded.

Eventually, it reached a point where continuing the subscription model no longer made practical sense, and I had to stop offering it altogether.

For a long time, I believed one major reason was that very few people truly understood the depth of work involved in creating meaningful ratings. Deriving accurate figures required years of study, race-watching, record keeping, and practical experience.

It was a niche skill.

Then came AI.

And everything changed even faster.

Today, with a simple prompt, people can generate ratings that once required years of domain knowledge. Speed figures, performance comparisons, and analytical summaries can now be created in seconds.

What’s even more fascinating—and perhaps unsettling—is that AI is increasingly capable of handicapping races at a level that can rival, and sometimes even outperform, seasoned handicappers who spent 20–30 years mastering their craft.

That raises an important question.

Where does that leave traditional handicappers?

Does experience still matter?

Do punters still value the intuition, race-reading ability, and nuanced judgment that comes from decades of watching horses, trainers, jockey patterns, track conditions, and understanding things that numbers alone may miss?

Or has the game permanently changed?

Have punters moved on from relying on experienced analysts because AI can now provide endless data instantly?

I’m genuinely curious to know what today’s punters think.

Would you still be interested in the old-school style of race analysis done by experienced handicappers?

Do you still value curated selections and human insight?

Or has that chapter closed forever?

Has the bird already flown away?

I’d love to hear honest opinions from fellow punters and racing enthusiasts.
There’s also a personal reason behind why I’m asking this question now.
Over the past few years, I’ve been dealing with a chronic illness that has gradually limited both my energy and the amount of time I can devote to serious handicapping work. Realistically speaking, I may not have an unlimited window ahead before I become completely ineffective in doing the kind of detailed work I once loved.

And perhaps that realization changes how one looks at things.

At this stage of life, money is no longer the driving factor.

What matters more is spending whatever productive time I have left doing something that once gave me immense joy—studying races, analyzing form, creating ratings, and sharing that work with fellow punters who genuinely value it.

Horse racing handicapping has been more than just a hobby for me—it has been a passion, an obsession, and in many ways, a defining part of my life.

Before I fade into complete irrelevance, I would like to give it one final meaningful attempt—not  as a business venture, but as a return to something I truly loved doing.

The only question is:

Are there still punters who value that kind of old-school, experience-driven work?

Or has the world moved on completely?

I would genuinely appreciate your honest thoughts. 

Future course of action would depend on the response to this post Vinodvyass76@gmail.com