RUNNING A VIRTUAL STABLE
So you've registered with Raceclubs (if not use the link at top or bottom of page), got a free horse to run in free races and now want to take the next step, what next..??
Well, you can either purchase horse/s from the sales ring, purchase horse/s from claimers or purchase horse/s from auctions which are held fortnightly. Lets take a look at each option.
SALES RING : Buying horses from the sales ring means you are buying an unraced and untrained horse, it can be either a 2 year old or 3 year old and will cost you £7.65. Upon purchasing the horse you can decide whether to purchase a supplementary fee with it. The supplement allows your horse to run in challenge series races. If purchased with the horse it will cost £2.50, if purchasing at a later date it will cost £50. We would advise purchasing at a later date, IF your horse is capable of competing in challenge class races. Paying £2.50 each time you buy a horse from the ring will end up an expensive and often fruitless exercise, as the majority of horses purchased will not justify being supplemented.
Upon purchasing your horse/s they can be trained to full fitness on 1st day, then 3 times a day after. Tack items should also be applied before racing.
CLAIMERS : Buying horses from claimers is a good way of getting a foot on the ladder. Many well campaigned horses will run in claimers, many previously owned by top stables. In addition to buying a horse that can compete, you will be buying a huge chunk of information such as how a top trainer trains and what races they target at different stages of a horses career. Claimer prices vary, but you can find a decent horse for £7.65.
A lot of horses picked up in claimers will be capable of running in slightly better races, others will be no better than claimers. So study the form of the horse, take advice and try to find something that will teach you, but also keep some money coming into the stable.
AUCTIONS : To some extent purchasing from auctions is similar to purchasing from claimers, you can see exactly what you are getting. The main difference is that there are many more valuable horses exchanged during auctions. Some examples sell for several thousand pounds. You can snag a bargain at auction too, assuming you know what you are looking for and have an idea of the form a horse has. Unraced horses in auction will have training times available for a cost of 10p, something that is well worth looking at. In general auctions would be best left until you have much more idea of what you are doing. Is easy to get carried away bidding for a horse in auction, and spending big money on a horse which you may have no idea how to run.
Once owning a horse, race planning is very important. Always aim to keep the horse competing in races it is competitive in. Check past form of the horse to see how it has fared in races. Try to never over face your horse.
Horses with 0-7 wins can be found many opportunities to race off bottom weight. Always try to keep your horses in races where they carry no weight penalties. And steer clear of level weights and wfa's
until you are certain it can compete.
It is difficult to give too many bits of advice as the best experience comes from racing, and there is no better or harder lesson than losing money. The sites forums are full of useful bits of advice, particularly the NEWBIE forum. If you don't find what you are looking for, then ask a question and someone will undoubtedly offer you an answer/opinion.
Most importantly set yourself a manageable budget, an amount you can afford to lose and try and keep within it. Do not aim too high too early, take time to learn as much as possible and understand the race structure. Most importantly have fun, as that is what it is all about.
Any questions on how to start up, or what to do once started, then simply use the contact us link on this page or the home page, and we will attempt to answer any questions and offer any advice we can.
Well, you can either purchase horse/s from the sales ring, purchase horse/s from claimers or purchase horse/s from auctions which are held fortnightly. Lets take a look at each option.
SALES RING : Buying horses from the sales ring means you are buying an unraced and untrained horse, it can be either a 2 year old or 3 year old and will cost you £7.65. Upon purchasing the horse you can decide whether to purchase a supplementary fee with it. The supplement allows your horse to run in challenge series races. If purchased with the horse it will cost £2.50, if purchasing at a later date it will cost £50. We would advise purchasing at a later date, IF your horse is capable of competing in challenge class races. Paying £2.50 each time you buy a horse from the ring will end up an expensive and often fruitless exercise, as the majority of horses purchased will not justify being supplemented.
Upon purchasing your horse/s they can be trained to full fitness on 1st day, then 3 times a day after. Tack items should also be applied before racing.
CLAIMERS : Buying horses from claimers is a good way of getting a foot on the ladder. Many well campaigned horses will run in claimers, many previously owned by top stables. In addition to buying a horse that can compete, you will be buying a huge chunk of information such as how a top trainer trains and what races they target at different stages of a horses career. Claimer prices vary, but you can find a decent horse for £7.65.
A lot of horses picked up in claimers will be capable of running in slightly better races, others will be no better than claimers. So study the form of the horse, take advice and try to find something that will teach you, but also keep some money coming into the stable.
AUCTIONS : To some extent purchasing from auctions is similar to purchasing from claimers, you can see exactly what you are getting. The main difference is that there are many more valuable horses exchanged during auctions. Some examples sell for several thousand pounds. You can snag a bargain at auction too, assuming you know what you are looking for and have an idea of the form a horse has. Unraced horses in auction will have training times available for a cost of 10p, something that is well worth looking at. In general auctions would be best left until you have much more idea of what you are doing. Is easy to get carried away bidding for a horse in auction, and spending big money on a horse which you may have no idea how to run.
Once owning a horse, race planning is very important. Always aim to keep the horse competing in races it is competitive in. Check past form of the horse to see how it has fared in races. Try to never over face your horse.
Horses with 0-7 wins can be found many opportunities to race off bottom weight. Always try to keep your horses in races where they carry no weight penalties. And steer clear of level weights and wfa's
until you are certain it can compete.
It is difficult to give too many bits of advice as the best experience comes from racing, and there is no better or harder lesson than losing money. The sites forums are full of useful bits of advice, particularly the NEWBIE forum. If you don't find what you are looking for, then ask a question and someone will undoubtedly offer you an answer/opinion.
Most importantly set yourself a manageable budget, an amount you can afford to lose and try and keep within it. Do not aim too high too early, take time to learn as much as possible and understand the race structure. Most importantly have fun, as that is what it is all about.
Any questions on how to start up, or what to do once started, then simply use the contact us link on this page or the home page, and we will attempt to answer any questions and offer any advice we can.
