Racing Explained

• All Races require a minimum of 3 horse entries to take place, unless they have added (sponsored) stakes on them in which case they require a minimum of 3 stables entered. The 3 stable rule also applies to all Rated Races.
• The maximum number of horses in any one ‘instance’ of a race is 14.
• There is no limit on ‘instances’ for a race. An instance is identical to the original race and is created when there is a full field of 14 runners in the preceding instance of the race. Added/Sponsored stakes are proportional to the number of runners in subsequent instances.
• A horse may participate in one Grade 1, one Grade 2, one Claiming or one qualifying race per day; in three rated races; and in an unlimited number of Grade 3 races per day.
• The ‘stakes’ on a race are derived from the entry fee less a 15% administration fee, eg. 10 horses entered at £6.50 each will have stakes of £55.25.
• The ‘stakes’ are split 50%, 25%, 15% and 10% for 1st through to 4th places respectively. Where there are 3 runners in a race the horses receive 60%, 25% and 15% respectively.
• Races may receive additional sponsored stakes by the site or an outside party. Such added stakes may be in the form of Cash or Bonus credits.
• All races count towards a horse’s reduction in stabling fees (£0.33/run). This excludes free newbie races where there is no entry fee.
• There are numerous factors involved in determining the outcome of a race such as the horses innate ability in relation to its rivals, preference for the race spec (distance & going), preparation (fitness & tack), weight carried, draw and the Random Factor.
• As in live racing there is an unpredictable element in every race where a horse (& even the jockey) doesn’t run perfectly to form. This is represented by the Random Factor.
• In Virtual Racing the Jockey simply represents the order/rank of the Random Factor in relation to the other horses in the race. The best Jockey in the race represents the best Random Factor received whilst the worst Jockey indicates the worst Random received by a horse in the race. So an average jockey can represent a very good random in one race and a very poor one in the next race.
• Jockeys are determined in the following way:
  1. The race generator determines an outcome of the race based on each horses innate abilities, preferences for the race spec, the horses preparation for the race and a random factor. The race generator allocates a random factor to each horse in the race, without considering a horses ability, prep and preferences or race history – it is random and without any bias.
  2. The race generator randomly selects Jockeys per the number of horses in the race.
  3. The race generator allocates the best Jockey in the selected list to the best already determined RF, the next best Jockey to the next best RF and so forth, the poorest selected Jockey receiving the poorest RF.
• Where horses are closely matched in terms of their abilities, such as in the Challenge race series and Grade 1, the Random Factor element has less impact in relation to all other elements/factors such as horse fitness, weight, draw, ability over distance, ability over going, etc. This lower Random Factor is represented by the game only utilizing the top 17 of the 34 Jockeys in such races.
• Once entered, a horse may not be scratched/withdrawn from a race.
• Entry fees are automatically refunded when a horse is withdrawn from a race by the system in the event that a race is cancelled (insufficient runners), the horses stabling fee is due (pending payment), the horse is made inactive (retired) or the horse becomes ineligible for the race (win eligibility).
• A horse is prevented from being entered for a Claiming race if there are current entries for the horse that will run subsequent to the Claiming race. Similarly, a horse may not be entered for races that are scheduled to run after a Claimer that it is currently entered for. The reason for this is a horse may change owner hands during a Claimer, the prior owner therefore not being able to plan its racing for a later period in which they may not be the owner of the horse.

Graded racing was introduced to the game in August 2005, evolving from ‘Group Racing’ which we had at the time and out of a need to provide a platform for horses of moderate ability to be competitive at a lower pricing structure. We needed to accommodate the growing horse population, the intensifying levels of competition and varying abilities providing further racing opportunities.

• Horses are subject to a Grading process which ensures that horses compete in races that are more relevant to their specific racing ability.
• Horses automatically receive their Grading (Grade 1 or Grade 2 or Grade 3) when they are trained for the first time above 90% fitness.
• A horse that has not yet been Graded can enter into Grade 1 and Grade 1 Low races only. Horses are not able to enter into Grade 2 or Grade 3 races before being Graded.
• Grade 1 Low races are generally suitable for more moderate Grade 1 caliber horses.
• A horses Grading is based primarily on its genetic seeding (innate characteristics), followed by its race temperament, both of which are identified by the system through its initial training.
• A Grade 1 horse is ineligible to partake in Grade 2 races whilst a Grade 2 horse may race up in Grade 1 races should it so wish, however it is not recommended as the horse will not be competitive. Similarly with Grade 3 horses.
• Once Graded, a horses Grade will stay the same throughout its racing career regardless of any improvements through ageing.
• The least competitive horse in each Grade has the chance of beating the best horse in the Grade, under appropriate conditions of course.
• There is a further lower level within Grade 1 called ‘Grade 1 Low’ which essentially caters for moderate Grade 1 horses through a lower pricing structure.

• A horse may enter to run in one Graded race per day, with the exception of Grade 3 races which have no daily limit. Consecutive race entries may be made in advance (1 race/day) unless the horse is entered into a Claiming race or Auction in which case the Claimer or Auction needs to take place before further entries will be accepted.
• Graded Races close for entries 5 minutes before race time.
• Additional race stakes/sponsorships are reserved for Grade 1 races only as racing follows natural sporting price structures, ie. racing will be most lucrative in terms of stakes where it is found to be the most competitive and prestigious.
• The same Graded race categories are scheduled for each Grade and age, with the exception of Grade 3 which is limited to 6 categories. The frequency that a specific race category is scheduled is dependent on the number of entries it usually gets for the time of the season.
• The Seasonal Challenge race series and Monthly Challenge Series’ are always Grade 1 races and attract the largest amounts in added stakes/sponsorship. These are the premier races of the Month or Season.

• Eligibility determines which horses qualify for a entry into a race category. Eligibility is based on Age, Sex, Grade and Wins. An example of some race categories and their respective ‘win’ eligibility requirements:

• There are two race categories that have stable specific eligibility requirements, thereby not being specific to the horse eligibility as in all other races:
  • Small Stable races - for owners that have purchased less than 20 horses. Horses that have since been sold or retired still count as a purchase and a stable can not regain a Small Stable status after purchasing its 20th horse.
  • New Stable races - for new owners that have purchased their first horse within the last 30 days.
  • Some Stakes races have additional eligibility criteria or special conditions.
• An example of the special conditions is: NPL3R – Not Placed in the Last 3 Races.

• Eligibility determines which horses qualify for a entry into a race category. Eligibility is based on Age, Sex, Grade and Wins. An example of some race categories and their respective ‘win’ eligibility requirements:
• Races are categorized according to Age Group and Grade. Within each of these broad categories, race types are determined according to certain eligibility rules and a handicapping structure.
• Handicapping introduces performance Penalties and Allowances (performance enhancers). Penalties add weight and Allowances reduce weight measured in pounds (lbs.). Eligibility and Handicapping rules encourage competition between horses of similar abilities as well as allow horses of different abilities to compete off a more level playing field. The handicap will slow a horse down slightly and an allowance will benefit a horse relative to the rest of the field. This makes a race more competitive.
• Allowance races provide a horse with a weight benefit (Allowance) for not winning a number of consecutive races.
• There are two types of allowances that are often combined into a single Allowance Race:
  • Non-Wins Allowance - Weight allowance for each race run without a win. This means weight that your horse carries will be reduced for each consecutive preceding run without a win.
  • Lbl Allowance - Weight allowance for each length run behind the leader calculated as an average over the last 5 races.
• If you have a horse that is not finding a win, then enter it in an Allowance race before entering it in a Claiming Race where you will run the risk of losing a potential Stakes winner. Your horse will get a weight allowance (reduced weight) in these races. This is basically a performance enhancement for not performing well in previous races.
• The base weight in each race on which penalties and allowances are applied is 120lbs.
• In a handicap race for 4 to 10 time winners, a horse with 10 wins will carry more weight than a horse with only 4 wins. The horse with 10 wins will carry 6(10-4) times the specified weight penalty per win. This penalty per win is 4lbs in the below example, so the calculated penalty added to the base of 120lbs is 24lbs. In the example you will see how the total weight carried is limited to 140lbs. This weight penalty will vary depending on the race category. The penalty is applied per incremental win over the qualifying win count for the race category.

  Handicap based on Wins:
  	Win Eligibility	Wins	Base Weight	Penalty	Weight Carried
  Eg1:	0 to 1 wins	1	120lbs	6lbs	126lbs (120 + 6 lbs)
  Eg2:	4 - 10 wins	10	120lbs	4lbs	140lbs (120 + (6 wins X 4 lbs) = 144)

• Where no handicapping is specified, the race is run at ‘level weights’, which means that all horses carry the same weight. These are usually referred to as level weight races when previous winners are eligible.
• When fillies race with Colts, an allowance is normally awarded to fillies.

  Allowance for Sex:
  	Sex Eligibility	Sex	Base Weight	Penalty	Weight Carried
  EG4:	Colts and Fillies	Filly	120lbs	-30lbs	90lbs (120 - 30lbs)

• The average length behind leader (lbl*) value is calculated over the last 5 races and rounded down to the nearest integer before applying the allowance per lbl. In the example, the average lbl value could have been 3.45, but is rounded down to 3.

  Allowance for Average Lengths Behind Leader (Lbl):
  	Win Eligibility	Average Lbl*	Base Weight	Penalty	Weight Carried
  EG5:	Irrelevant	Filly	120lbs	-2lbs	114lbs (120 – 6 (3 x -2) lbs)

• IMPORTANT - A win in a claiming race will not count towards penalties applied in handicapping of other races. Claiming race wins will however impact allowances applied in handicapping such as in determining the number of runs since last win.
• The race categories chart illustrates how the categories rank and how your horse can progress in its racing career. This chart demonstrates the eligibility rules for each race category: Age, Wins and Grade. As your horse progresses in Age and achieves more Wins, so will it progress along the categories. The chart also shows you the entry fee per race category and grade. The innate ability of your horse determines its Grade.

• When entering your horse in a Claimer, you are putting it up for sale as any other member may place a Claim on your horse.
• You own the horse until the end of the race and if it wins you collect the prize money. If someone has claimed it, you will also collect the claim price specified in the name of the race (eg. In a £9.75 Claiming Plate, you collect £9.75 less 15% commission) and your horse will be transferred to the Claimer (purchaser).
• It is unlikely that a Champion horse will be entered in a Claiming Race as owners will generally not risk losing their champions. Unless of course, an owner has not recognized the true ability of a Champion horse in which case the astute claimer will make a prize purchase of a horse that has ability to succeed in traditional racing. The higher value Claiming Races will naturally attract more competitive horses.
• Some Claimers include eligibility conditions that restrict entry, such as N4L (non-winner of 4 lifetime). These races also run at level weights. See the rules on Claiming races for more information.
• A win in a claiming race will not count towards eligibility in conditioned Claimers. So, a horse may win multiple Claimers and still be eligible to run in Claimers with conditions such as N6L (non-winner of 6 lifetime).
• You can Claim a horse that has been entered in a Claiming Race and Conditioned Claimer by accessing this facility under the BUY A HORSE section. A list of horses to claim will only be displayed here when a Claiming Race has closed for entries.
• A horse with a claiming win will not be eligible for a Maiden stakes race or Maiden Claimer, the claiming win further not counting towards penalties applied in handicapping of normal Graded races.
• Claiming race wins will impact allowances applied in handicapping such as in determining the number of runs since last win in Allowance races. A Claiming race win will be considered in determining this count since last win.
• Where more than one member claims any one particular horse, the successful claim will be determined through a lucky draw.
• The stabling subscription fee date is adjusted when the horse is transferred so that it will only be payable again 30 days after transfer.
• The entire horse details history record of a Claimed horse is transferred to the new owner with the horse.
• A claiming race closes for entries 24 hours before it runs and is then opened to Claims.
• Once you have entered a horse into a Claiming Race you may not enter that horse for any other Race until the Claiming race has run.

• Graded Race Categories
• Race Charts (A Horses Career)
• Jockeys Explained & Jockeys Names
• Download Weight Calculator
• This Seasons Highlights Outlined
• Challenge 101 Guide
• ‘How To’ Guides

Rated Racing, and the subsequent rating of horses, was introduced to the game in December 2007.

• A horse may run in up to 3 Rated Races per day, one entry at a time.
• A horses Rated Race runs are independent to its Graded Race runs. Stats, weight (handicapping) and eligibility in Rated Racing will not impact its Graded Racing, or vice versa.
• Rated Races close for entries 10 minutes before race time.
• A horses fitness remains applicable for the horse regardless of where it runs, ie. changes in fitness through running in either Rated Racing or Graded Racing will apply to its next run in either.
• Every horse is Rated and receives a Class when it is trained above 90% fitness for the first time.
• Once a horse receives a Class it will remain that Class throughout its racing career regardless of any improvements through ageing.
• Every Class has a start rating. Once your horse gets trained to 90% fitness the first time it will be given the start rating of which ever Class it falls into. Please refer to the ‘Horse Ratings Table’ below as a reference.
• Horses can only run in the Class/s which they are eligible for.
• Each time your horse runs in a Rated Race your horse’s Handicap Rating will get adjusted (per the ‘Ratings Points Table’). E.g. You run your horse which has a Handicap Rating of 122 in a Rated Race with 9 runners and it places 7th, after the race your horse’s handicap rating thus changes to 121.
• The lowest rating a horse may achieve will be equivalent to the mid point of the next lower Class from where it originated. This equates to a maximum negative move of 15 points given a Class rating range of 15.
• The weights are calculated as follows. Once the field is final, weight will be determined. The horse with the highest rating will carry 140lbs. Each lower rated horse will carry weight calculated per the following example:
• If, allowance on race = 2lbs;
• And if, the highest rated Class C horse = 118 (Would carry 140lbs);
• then, horse 2 rated 115 = 140-(118-115x2lbs) = 134lbs;
• And, horse 3 rated 114 = 140-(118-114x2lbs) = 132lbs.
• Mixed Rated Race Categories have a -30lbs female allowance on them. Some races may be Colts or Fillies races only.
• All other horses that run in a race will get their weight calculated from the horse with the highest handicap rating. You will only be able to tell what weight your horse will run with in a race when the race is in upcoming status because only then do the weights get calculated and assigned to horses.
• All 34 Jockeys are utilized, hence the Random Factor being represented and utilized is the full Random Factor in Rated Races.
• All rules for EB Races, Claiming Races and Auctions apply – e.g. if in EB Race you cannot run in a Rated Race, if in Rated Race the horse cannot be sold.
• Pages with race details and results display the rating the horse had at the time of the race whilst the Horse details, Auctioning, Claiming, My Stable, Training etc pages display the horses current rating.
• The Rated Race system is independent to the Graded Race system for a horse in terms of eligibility and handicapping. Therefore race results under one system have no impact on the horses races in the other system.
• Rated Race runs count towards the ‘500 Runs Award’ Program as follows. See table below.
• Rated Races are not available to view on traXide.

• Rated Race Categories
• Jockeys Explained & Jockeys Names
• ‘How To’ Guides