I'm going to outline a few ideas that have been mentioned across the years as a potential new direction for the league to get them all in one place and start a debate on where we can take things whilst we are going through a period of change.

The first thing I'd like to say is that I am seriously considering reducing the number of meaningless handicaps and increasing the number of bigger race handicaps as well as introducing the real life rule of only being able to compete in a handicap once you've had three runs. The handicapper role will remain but will take place after all the declarations are in for a major handicap and tweaked accordingly. Does anyone have any major concerns about this? Horses are so evenly matched and weight plays such a big part that the existing arrangements have more to do with fiddling the system, good fortune or a handicapper mistake than trainer skill.

Following on from that I want to introduce more maidens and listed races so as horses have more prep races and can follow a natural progression. I propose the following field sizes for the races

Maiden: max 20, fields split if more than this
Listed: max 20, fields split if more than this
Handicaps: max 30
Group races: max 20, highest rated 20 compete, the rest compete in a Listed equivalent (i.e Epsom Derby G1 and Epsom Derby Listed)

I understand lower trainers (like myself) wanting to compete in the big races but I presume you'd prefer to have a chance in a similar race than have no chance in the main event. It also gives us something to aim for!

It will also mean that Derby horses (for instance) will need to be campaigned better. Winning a 1m4f maiden comfortably may not get you a high enough rating. Winning the G2 1m2f Dante will.

If this is the case I think we should reduce the number of upload windows to match when real trainers introduce new horses. I.e Season start, Pre-Summer (Royal Ascot etc.), early Autumn.



For the schedule as a whole I think there are two options:

1) Keep it roughly similar but sort out the timings (i.e get the Irish Derby in the right place). Get rid of most of the international meetings (leave Dubai, Royal Ascot and maybe have the Melbourne Cup & Sha Tin).

Pros: not much needs to be done, keeps things compact and interesting.
Cons: quite intense

2) Have a season long schedule that matches real life and go from there.

Pros: less intense, uber realistic, could match up well with NHC (run over the winter)
Cons: maybe too slow, the game itself is played quite quickly, new horses come along, may not be able to get two seasons done before the next game etc. The main one is the huge technical effort that would be required and we'd probably have to wait until the start of the new flat season in April, potentially starting with NHC in October?

You might sense that my preference is for the first option, I know that the second one would be great, fantastically realistic but there is such a thing as too realistic and we have to understand this is a game. If someone can think of an idea of getting this working I'm all ears though.

NHC and USRA can to some degree slot around the main UKRA but options for them can follow in the future.

Thoughts so far?

Yes l defo think reduce Uploads mate and horses having to get a rating high enough to enter races l also like that. Seeing a horse win the derby at his first run just doesnt do it for me. The only thing with the maidens max 20 runners is we have max 30 and this season had 2 races both with 30 runners in so people could get a hcap rating, the way you suggest would mean 3 classes of 1 race, i.e 3 6f maiden races same ground venue to allow people to get a rating. I very much like the listed Equavalent to help lesser trainers like myself at least a chance to get competitive at a higher level. If you win these races then have a rating next time for a Group 1. Very much like your ideas pal cant really comment on NH as lm not a big player

Exactly, 40 people enter a maiden, two sets of 20. 28 people enter, two sets of 14.

i like the first option - think it could be good!!!

so my vote would be for option one, really like the ideas outlined!!

I'd vote for Option one as well

In theory i would like two better, but i know one will run more smoothly and be easier

I dont like the sound of the NHC having to slot around the "MAIN" UKRA, i for one and im sure many other jumping enthusiasts dont even play and have no interest in the flat game.

I'd like the NHC to follow your ideas regarding the UKRA and would be up for designing a schedule myself.

I'd also like the NHC to run alongside the UKRA so maybe horses that dont perform in one code can be sent to the other

What does the new NHC President and VP have to say about it?

Rich you have my email address as im the new NHC race secretary, let me know what you think.

I only say main because more people play it, neither is better or worse than the other.

Will give you a shout about the races, hopefully get you involved with some of the Cheltenham races and get all the new starters used to the kit.

edit: I think I just sent you an email...your name confuses me.

Yes thats fine mate but this season we had 2 races with 30 in, so your way we would need 3 races for a maiden. If we had 4 maidens races that week that could mean 16 race comms and betting markets which sounds a lot of work for a maiden. I think we need a big think about this as l believe when league starts it will be the biggest members yet, l take this impression from if you look at kennys and Steve schedule offers there are over 4 pages of people wanting this and many of new names l never seen before. So everyone will have to get a rating and maybe having 1 week full of maidens to do this will be needed. Also this can cut down seperate races if we have like 2 6f maidens at different course and so on. This would need to happen the week after uploads too which is another reason why we keep these upload weeks down to a minimum. I think this contributed to having unraced horses in group races as there was nowhere else to go at times. Rich like to say lm not disagreing or having a go just my opinions on certain things.

Yep, it is a bit of an effort, gives more opportunity for race wins though and we don't have to do comms for all of them. Hopefully the handicapping side of things will be scaled down and only take place before major handicap races (there won't be many if any regular handicap races during the week, handicaps are supposed to be competitive but the size of the league and the abilities of the horses are too closely matched to make them viable on a week in week out basis).

I disagree mate, i think the gap between top trainers and lower trainers is massive and with the extra game play time we had it would be massive for newbies. I think hcaps are a must to keep new players interested week to week. As l said last year l think we should have more hcaps but restricted i.e 0-70 40-90 70-110 these just example. If we take hcaps away week to week how are the lesser trainers supposed to get a run never mind a win if the group races are for top horses only??

I would prefer even less upload windows, maybe have 7 days from when each trainer uploads their first horse to when their stable is locked (that way trainers who start late don't have to wait until halfway through the season), and then another upload window at the halfway point of the season.

Uploads and stable sizes are the first needed to be sorted, dont want to see the mass turn over of horses that normally happens in the league or the fact that when there no good they are just transfered into another league, no point in my opinon transfering horses from one league to another if they aint any good in the first league they were entered in.

Retire a certain amount yes but again not to many, lets have trainers having to make better decisions about what they want to upload!

new vp for the nhc and as i said i like option one but would like to see the nhc run alongside the uk yes. also i would like to see less 2mile races each week and have more variety and more maiden/handicap races in the nhc.

agree with mike about the ukra!!

I agree with the point raised regarding the gap between the top and bottom trainers...it is very wide and will get wider as the top trainers have built in solid bloodlines....
We most prob do need lower class hcaps but i do think lower grade trainers cannot enter their horses in group ones!..
This will only screw the hcap mark and get in the way of better horses..
The max limit of 20 is a great idea...nothing worse than drawn 30 at epsom....Air Hawks springs to mind-kenny....
Also the UKRA is the main league and the one all top trainers want to win but i do love the NH and i see its growing in popularity...And the idea's popped around seem good...

I agree on the lower handicaps got to be a must for the more casual participants in the league.