That basically, there is a fixed amount of time it takes to run them, though I tend to be more stop start, if I am running them when I have my little boy. The bigger issue with me is that being part of running the league, sort of ruins it for you. Try as I might I can never stop myself from checking the uploaded card for the results. So the magic of watching is lost.

And I may step down next year, depending on whether or not I stump up for a new pc, my current one is on its last legs, graphics card has finally imploded, so on an internal intel card right now, my laptop is just as old.

This is what I try to do.

Unfortuneately, the reality for me is deteriating eyesight is a big problem. After about 90 minutes in front of a computer screen my eyesight starts to go blurry, I can't read the horses names in the top left of the screen.

I did run all my original NH races in one batch but it took about 2 hours. I was really struggling by the end.

It was about 3 hours later that I ran my flat races, again I ran them in one batch, took about an hour. The good thing about flat races, they are much shorter and take less time to run.

Alex asked me if I would help out with running some of Grays NH races as he was having computer problems. This time I decided not to put a strain on my eyesight, I ran two races and stopped for about half an hour. Then ran some more races and stopped again.


I am enjoying commentating on the races but the failing eyesight is a much bigger problem when commentating. You can't commentate if you can't read the horses names in the top left corner. It takes me twice as long to commentate and create the sound file for a race than to actually run the race itslf. Therefore, I tend to commentate on one or two races, create the sound files, then give my eyes about an hours rest.


I am not looking for sympathy, as we get older our bodies start to fail us. I am 68 years old and led a very full life. Hopefully many more years to go.

Jim


EDIT:- Just had a quick look at timestamps for my original races. Almost the same as described above. The times between races varies depending on the length of the race and how long the previous video file took to start uploading to internet.

The point is simpler than that, that’s a clean run above as there is insufficient time between races to have run them twice, which is really the nub of feeling guilty about winning your own races, ‘do they think I cheated?’.

I find myself, if I do want a break, taking the break on a race without my horses in, so I don’t have a gap and then a win. But I don’t think there are any issues right now with the way races are being run.

Hi All

I have just been doing commentary on some the races I ran as a race runner. You will notice the picture is very dark in some of the videos. I apologise for this. I normally keep my screen brightness low and turn it up when I record races. I forgot to do this with some of the races this week.

Jim

Gutted!

Cannot believe my Juvenile was so poor yesterday.

Picked up two 0-100 races on day 1 of NH though, which was nice.

Flat stable has been tonked so unlikely to see many winners from the flat in the last 2 weeks.

Great couple of days winning the middle park and the melling chase ad then watching my best hurdler and best 2yo get stuffed hahaha . Nothing in this game suprises me anymore and thats the best bit of being in it . Well done to all the winners big and small and thanks to all that work to put the league on its much appreciated

Winning the Scottish national is as good as winning any grade 1 flat race.

SPIRIT EAGLE - What a horse

5 wins from 6 starts, I have had horses win 4 or 5 times before but always over a complete season but never had a horse with this kind of winning record\percentage. First race was a maiden but then 3 x G2's, now a G1. The race he didn't win was far too short for him but there was no suitable race for him that week, so took a chance. Absolutely chuffed.

I must admit, when I watched his latest race for the first time, I thought Vinny's horse had won the race.

When I watched the race a second time, I tried to freeze the race at the finishing line, still couldn't see Spirit Eagle was the winner. The biggest problem is the camera angle is not exactly on the finishing line.

I think it was SO6, maybe SO5, where you could see a photo finnish on the line. It would be nice if this was included with SO8.

When I exported Spirit Eagle to the CK, I gave him an "even pace" instruction. In this latest race he made most of the running. I have noticed this in quite a few of the races my horses have entered. I think all my even paced horses have made the running because every other horse in the race is a hold up horse.

He's quire a horse, my best horses over the last couple of seasons are definitely my 2m horses, an Rocky Mount Ocean is by far my best. He's had a weird season, he's actually ran about 8 wide the whole way in that race, never once any closer to the rail. How he got that close is beyond me. He's done it a few times this season now, always trapped out wide, pretty sure it's just an even pace thing. If there's a lot of horses trying it, they all just stay the exact same pace an make no effort to get in. I thought mine got it first time, but on the replay it looked like at best a dead heat for me, yours looked the more likely one

I don't fancy my chances of not running wide in the Melbourne with what will likely be a huge field

Nice win John, pillar to post.
Jim that is something special, be interested in seeing its bars

I have nothing special to write about another flump from my Juvenile, think it stems from John's every time you change in the CK/RK an odd result comes up and this must of happened in its first two times it ran....

Flat team, unless something marvellous happens on day 3 which I doubt, after an impressive start, the stable has gone from 4+ wins a week to 1 if I am lucky, I have noticed there is a gap with trainers who are in no-mans land, too heavy to win a handicap or not even get in one, but also not good enough for a Group win, so any trainer that is not in the top 3-4 and has horses that are better than 100+ might as well not bother.
I preferred when I had donkeys winning off 7st 10. If we go another season, I will drop this current line as it appears pointless.

That the last step on the ladder between top and middle, most of the top tier have spent time there. And it’s where balancing your team between your almost good enough best and your bottom tier suitable for handicaps is important. Also try and focus on your area of strength, for me, it was my 2yo’s who broke group company first.

Stu I think u've improved u horses probably 15 pounds since the last game and that's a great advance at this stage of the game, these top trainers/horses are now nearing probably 95% plus ability after all these years of this game and so u can't just jump from a 80 rated or so trainer to group class in one season. If u can improve them again for next season then u probably around group class but just below group 1 class. I'd say my jumpers are probably around 120 rating but I know it's almost impossible to go from that to racing the grade1 horses next season. My aim is to get to around 140 so I can challenge in the good h'caps. As Josh says , workout what u best at and improve them. If I was u I'd ditch the jumpers and concentrate on flat. Winning any graded race on the flat is a great achievement at this stage of the game. I was watching a 2yo grade 1 or 2 race and the comms said it was a weak race, u don't get weak races/horses winning those type of races now.

Stu if that was my horse I wouldn't have run him, soft ground horse running on good/firm was always a hiding to nothing. U probably losing 8L ability on that ground.

Thanks for the advice boy's.

I'm not sure what to do, whether try and spend the time (can't do both time wise) attempting to get my hunt stable back to being more competitive, my Hunt save is testament to how you can lose it all, if you go down the wrong breed line or plug away at the flat and try that improvement, as you all know I really don't know what I am doing when it comes to breeding

Probably right John with the ground, although he has a full "going/surface adaptability" bar, so was hoping it would float.

I think it's far easier to mess u jump breeding up, on the flat if u got good horses u tend to keep breeding good ones , but on the jumps u breeding can go astray. My best horse over jumps What Fettle probably has the worst speed/cruise of all my horses , if that was on the flat he'd be my worst horse. Stu if u can improve u flat horses by 7 pounds and get more pace into them then I'd bred for the flat.