looking at victoria cup handicap - horses who look likely to be scratched :

My horse, Counting Coins.
Frosty Woman
Dream Waiting
Kings retreat
Seeyaaj

ifi get confirmation of these scratchings i will change my entry

Currently:

Counting Coins (would have got in with another run over 6f)
Dream Waiting (two runs, hopelessly detached in a 5f race, other horses from the same stable entered in 7f maidens even when that isn't the optimum distance for them)
Frosty Woman (only one run, been eligible for maidens and other races since, actually seems like a decent horse and should be entered in better races)
Kings Retreat (only one run over 6f)
Seeyaj (may have allowed this one if it had been entered over 7f once)

Safari Desert, Puma Heidelburg and Looking Lovely are exactly the sort of profile horses that should be entering the handicap. Also good to see Kaapa Dancer types testing their luck over the extra furlong.

edit: I have run a trial using all the horses, fairly interesting results and justifies the changes in my opinion.

So who will be scratched???

Hi All

Am wondering if my Cadabyr Bazyular will be taken out of the G1 Hattons Grace Hurdle, iv just unloaded him to my stable. Having read the comments i didnt think it matter about a debut horse running in G1 in the NHC? Charmed Asset was entered last week for the Paddy Power first time up and she didnt get scratched.

Can someone clarify if my horse can run in the race or not

Thanks

Craig

Hi Hemz the Paddy Power Gold cup was a Gr3

Cadabyr Bazyular will get scratched no debut horse can join a Gr1 race Gr2 and Gr3 races are fine to enter

It's the same think really, if you think your horses are good enough to race in the top races first time out whats the problem.

Am i missing somthing here?

Sorry for been a pest.

It's just for a bit of realism and to create stories and make previews worth looking at. No horse debuts in a G1 in real life.

Next season I will be looking to amend the schedule so that 3yos will not have many opportunities at 1m4f before the Derby. The best 1m4f horse may not make the Derby if he can't get a high enough rating in one of the trials (like the Dante etc.)

Lord knows I wish I could enter Osler Bluff in one of the G1s in USRA this week though

Thanks for the quick replies guys, will have to take him out. Would have loved to have seen him take it down first time out ha. Think he's the real deal.

The best 1m4 horse cant make the big 1m4 race??

Can you explain how that is realistic?

Its only a game, where its near impossible for a 1m4 horse to beat a 1m2 horse of similar ability. The game isnt realistic enough to support your idea that there should be no 1m4 maidens.

Your best ever Derby horse might not have the speed to beat a decent 1m2 horse, were as in real life, it could.

So until the game is as realistic as real life, i dont think the league should be.

IMO there is already a lack of 1m4 maidens for 3yo and im dissappointed to hear there will be even less next season.

It's the same for everyone though and then you'll have a really interesting balance of multi-distance horses competing.

I agree though with the game mechanics making it so a horse has a specific stamina distance.

There are plenty of 1m4f maidens though! Your stable should only have 1 colt and 1 filly at 1m4f, then maybe 1 older 1m4f horse.

IMO I think there should be at least 1 1m4f race for fillies and 1 for colts with a 3rd race that is open. What if a horse misses the break? What if it draws very wide? All I'm saying is there should be at least 2 lead up raced before the Derby and Oaks.

At the moment we have a 3 run rule for handicaps but not even 3 runs for trialing for the Derby or Oaks? (actually we do but I'm just making the point that it is ok the way it is set up now)

To be honest I like the way it stands at the moment. I too would like more maidens but if not at least have it set up the way it is.

There sill should be maidens and handicap races for those that just don't make the grade so they can race against each other. Not everyone has a group 1 capable horse, and there still needs to be races for them. Even before week 6 to keep them active at 1m4f. I have a feeling there will be a lot more trainers involved next season and getting into the 20 limit filed will be harder. That's why Rich's "Listed" plan B option was a good idea. The whole idea about the league is

1st to get your horses to race.
2nd to get a winner if its not top notch

Just my thoughts Rich, and you have some good ideas!

Cheers

Agree with this 100%. Certainly think there isn't a huge amount wrong with the schedule at the moment so I am a bit loathe to change it - could take SO5 to do it. Might make USRA the guinea pig, really want to do that "career" schedule. I think that would be very different and fun.

I dont think you should say a trainer should have one of this, one of that and one of these.

Some trainers like training sprinters, some like milers, some like middle distance, some like stayers and some like a mix of all.

I dont upload any stayers and i dont upload any 2yos. And ive heard other trainers saying they only have sprinters...

The point is, there is a 20 plus race card everyweek which is more than enough to accomodate all distances. I dont know how you work your system out in regards to the number of races available to each age group every week and wether this changes on a weekly basis, but it seems the majority of trainers have more 3yos than anything else so id imagine there is more races available to 3yos than any other age group.

With this in mind, i dont see why there should be a lack of 1m4 maidens.

Do you think if there are too many maidens then the trials will not be as strong as they should be? If thats the case, its a fair point and the answer to me is more maidens, earlier...

If you have two 1m4 maidens each week for the first 3 weeks, that gives trainers a chance to try 3 or 4 derby oaks hopefuls and plenty of time for their best to go for a good trial before the Derby in week 6?

6 races from a possible 66 in 3 weeks is hardly a bias to one distance...

The schedule is set up for the most balanced stable, fair enough some may choose to focus on particular distances but those stables will want to win the big races at those distances.

The season is only just beginning...