I've recently purchased the game and I'm loving it.

I started my first game in NH mode and currently in season 3. One of the things I'm trying to understand is how to assess the form.

Do you make the assessment based on time for the distance? I realise that the game is trying to be realistic but of course its not like real racing when assessing the form.

Any tips from anybody will be greatly received.

Thanks

If your just playing the game for the league mate you wont need times, just export your horses and trail them in race builder. Your best is your best

I will eventually like to join the league but at the moment I just want to play the game to gain experience.
What Im wanting is to understand how to assess form so I can place my horses better and also pick out decent buys at the auctions

I do use alot of criterea that you would use in real life. As always, expect to make some bad buys at the auction, but several will be good enough to help you get started and build from there.

In no particular order:

Time
Ground conditions
Weight carried
Grade of race
Did the horse run to it's natural style, or changed leading to a poor result?
Discipline - Hurdles or Chasing
Trouble in running - That might exaggerate a poor result

Col,

That's brilliant many thanks for that. I have been doing okay with some of my horses and placed them reasonably well but I have been struggling with assessing a single run. One of my novice hurdlers won their first 2 races with good times (less than standard) and I placed them in higher grades and they came last tailed off. The first time was due to the ground but the second time it was its ideal ground and distance and again it was tailed off. I dropped down a grade and he's still struggling so I suppose its more like real life than I expected.

It is difficult to assess a single run. I don't form too much of an opinion on the horse until it's got 3 or 4 runs under it's belt. You have to get a variety of races into it, so you can see how it copes with slow pace, fast pace, a galloping course, etc.