I've been having a debate with myself about this and I'm curious what the opinions of those who have league experience are.

Most of my horses are restrain/slight hold up types. In the trials, I've had a 2nd and a few 3rds where my horses flashed home but the line came slightly too soon for them.

My first thought was that I needed to breed those preferences out of my lines (in favour of even pace or race handy) but I'm not sure if that's necessary. In real racing it's often said that horses coming from off the pace who narrowly lose often look unluckier than they actually have been and I'm wondering whether that's the case here. Perhaps my horses just were 2nd or 3rd best and the running preference was irrelevant?

Interested to hear your views on how much of a factor running preference is in league races.

Personally I wouldn't take much notice of trial form.
If you are flashing for 2nd or 3rd then I think those horses are going to be competitive in Group races and in Hcp conditions you're going to be in it right up to your eyeballs!
Only issues anyone had was in the Hunt with Hold Up horses and I'm not sure I agree with them at this stage.

I think if your horse is good enough it will win from any position. That was my observation from the last league.

Thanks Doug - sounds like this topic might have been debated previously but encouraging to note your observations (I haven't viewed last season's races).

It was sort of discussed but in the context that too many horses (in the league) were getting pulled up in steeplechase and hurdle races and it seemed to be discriminating against hold up or drop out horses.
Since the league I started a jumps only game and I found the pulling up of horses to be on the same scale in the single player as in the league. Part of it I think it is random.
I also noticed from single player is that if a horse hits a jump badly - no matter its ability - it is then susceptible to being pulled up - as in real life.

But I will stand by what I said above - I think if your horse is good enough it will win from any position - it just depends if it is good enough for that race. It might storm home to win a G1 WFA but then in a G1 Hcp it can only manage 3rd.

Most of mine are even pace some handy types some of those make the pace up front
I never have hold up horses as it very tough to win races in the league with them only
speaking from my own experiences im sure there were plenty of hold up horses winning
races last season

All you can do is run your best horses from your trials, if your hold up types win consistently your not going to leave them for the ones who were beaten front running.

Have messed about with exporting copies to challenge earlier etc, then re-trialled with much the same results. Some got worse, and preferences I used in game do not seem to have the same effect in ck, but I have not devoted a huge amount of time too it, others may have a more qualified view.

In any league I've entered I always seem to have hold up horses. I always believed the this was a disadvantage. However last season I started to look at the extra speed rating and I realised that IMO that is the issue. My horses weren't fantastic extra speed. So last season I observed my horses dropping out, but even during slow races they before there was any real pace, my horses were having to be asked or scrubbed along slightly to get into position.

To me this has been the issue, they didn't have the natural speed to stay in the race. These were not monkeys either, 2 of the main culprits were Lockport Swindle and Lockport Stiffled. They were both placed in group races.

I now have to agree with the above, after believing for so long I was at a disadvantage, I think it's down to the horses just not being completed in my breeding. I will find out for definite this season as I have both race handy and hold up horses, but they have all been bred for better stats too.

Thanks for your replies folks I guess I will find out soon enough, when the league starts

Kniesh - I know what you mean about hold up types being outpaced and scrubbed along early as i've observed similar with a couple of mine in the trials. As you say though, difficult to know whether they just simply weren't good enough.

Githyanki - I agree, I have no option other than to put my best CK horses into my league team, regardless of running preference. Interesting you mention 'challenge earlier' as I've also been experimenting with that and 'don't trail' (mine are slight hold up rather than pure hold up). Mixed results also.

PJ - I think it was my memory of reading you once saying that you preferred even pace types that set me thinking about this subject

Doug - I definitely think the 3 horses being, seemingly randomly, pulled up in 3m+ NH races is something that Mark needs to address. I posted a plea for him to address it in the Tech Support forum a while back but no reply. I do also think the hold up types are more susceptible to being pulled up, even if they are travelling fine, which is an obvious disadvantage.