I've been here from the start and I still have no idea about these rules I still cant work out if my Northern Bay can run in the welsh national next week.

Willing to give anything a go, better try these things in S06.

As my horses aren't great they'll be running over close to the max trip anyway. I do see where you're coming from with the better horses. Even if they do drop in the handicap mine will still be out of the handicap in the national

I've been here from the start and I still have no idea about these rules I still cant work out if my Northern Bay can run in the welsh national next week.

If you win a maiden and get rated 150/155 I do not see how Cafe De London is only rated 144 (sorry Paul) for winning the big one

This is my point John You have been here since the start and follow NH racing very closely yet even you can'rt work out if your horse is eligible. So what chance has someone like Daniel (Carl Arrogante/Taunton) got when he comes from a country with no NH racing. We have to make it simpler and more streamlined and thus more all emcompassing.

Gray,

Was not seeking to have a pop at you for handicapping, know it is an impossible and thankless task, above is really the point I made badly that opened this whole can of worms in the first place. And whilst this does not makes any different for 2m - 3m horses where options to run at netural weights are plentiful going forward, for anything 3.4m+ a maiden win is a killer, that leaves next to nothing to enter from day one.

None of this is aided by the fact we trainers have a much better grasp of our horses ability than the handicappers will ever have, Eight the King, does not get anywhere close to the horse he replaced, 'The Wraith' in trial, and was picked and entered specifically to be a mid tier handicapper, trust me on the 10 length win, I am more shocked about that than anyone, it is not even his best distance. He'll go in the Welsh National under top weight most likely and if he finishes top 6 I'll eat a hat (rather hoping he is not a racekit freak now)

This again highlights the distance issue. You can run your horse in the Welsh National Josh because your GN quailifying maiden was over 4m. Those of us that have been deemed as having our best run in the 4m2f maiden are not allowed to run ... its bonkers ... means we can only run in 3m7f + races or Group races of which there aren't any over a long enough trip until the Moores at Cheltenham (which is a made up race anyway)

Please I give Ettrick Mill a rating of 136 after its debut win in a maiden Martin then ran it in a Group race and won I think a Rating of 150 was kind of kind and lenient Don't you Stu now I mostly give 140 as a benchmark for Maiden races be a 2m or 4m race sometimes it gets more when winning by 10 lengths Josh .

Now Paul's Horse Lets nip this in the bin rating it fell on debut which give it a automatic Rating of 110 he then ran second in a handicap before winning a Moore's Qualifier before winning the National I don't remember what it went up for winning the national but it gone from 110 to 144 winning two Handicaps you cant put the horse up more than its got just because it won the National every trainer should know or learn how to protect your horses rating Paul in my Opinion has done that if it had not Fallen on debut this may not be a problem if their is one which its not




Gray

This again highlights the distance issue. You can run your horse in the Welsh National Josh because your GN quailifying maiden was over 4m. Those of us that have been deemed as having our best run in the 4m2f maiden are not allowed to run ... its bonkers ... means we can only run in 3m7f + races or Group races of which there aren't any over a long enough trip until the Moores at Cheltenham (which is a made up race anyway)

Oooh....Controversy

Its the same old adage between realism and the league, there is many things we follow to add realism and then, many things we follow because its a game.

The GN in my opinion is one race we should follow a little more of the realism not necessarily what suits the game, 5yo's for a start, I am sorry James but you made a mockery of the GN two years ago, although all our fault for allowing 5yo's to enter. I banged on about this age thing, but of course many were happy as 5yo's suit their breeding programmes better, which I understand. (we don't allow any other age changes to such important races, at least I do not think so. Lets have 4yo's in the Derby )

If you win a maiden and get rated 150/155 I do not see how Cafe De London is only rated 144 (sorry Paul) for winning the big one

I'm pretty sure it won off 9'st 12lbs last year (both 2nd & 3rd giving it at least a stone, horses that were rated on maiden runs or one win over 4m)

IMO, Cafe De London cannot be rated lower than a maiden winning horse whether a new entry or not, If it won off 110 and has to go up 40lbs then so be it (you either want realism or game-ability, realism it would not of been allowed to enter, game-ability it has to be rated the top 4m horse)

It should be rated better than any other 4m horse that season, full stop! If 144 is the top horse then we cant go giving 150 to maiden winners, can we ?

If I say something stupid now or in the future, it’s better to be able to point out, that the stupidity is mine, and mine alone.