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How to Play Guide – Raceclubs.com
Table Of Contents:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CHOOSE A VIRTUAL HORSE
3. DESIGN YOUR SILKS
4. TRAIN YOUR VIRTUAL HORSE
5. SELECT AND APPLY TACK SHOP PRODUCTS
6. NOMINATE YOUR HORSE
7. RACING FOR THE PRIZE MONEY
8. WATCHING YOUR HORSE RACE IN LIVE 3D FOR THE PRIZE MONEY!
1. INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO RACECLUBS.COM, the world's premier virtual horse racing website.
Raceclubs.com is the world's first virtual horse racing community and is
virtually identical to flesh-and-blood horse racing, except it all happens online.
This is horse racing as you’ve never seen it before!
This How to Play guide will provide you with:
An introduction to the thrilling world of virtual horse racing;
A step by step guide to setting up your own stable; and
Tips on how to train your stable of horses to become potential champions,
and which races to enter them into.
We wish you all the best of luck in setting up your new stable. We know you’re
about to experience the thrill of a lifetime, so have some fun and you never
know, you may just be the very proud owner of the next champion on
Raceclubs.com
The Raceclubs.com Team.
2. CHOOSE A VIRTUAL HORSE
Go to the Sales Ring to buy one horse at a time or multiple horses at once using
our bulk purchaser. Alternatively you can place a bid on a horse in the Auctioning
facility. It’s your choice.
A horse will cost you £7.65 in the sales ring, or you can place a minimum bid
of £7.65 on a horse in Auction. The monthly stabling fee starts at £1.02
and reduces to £0.00 depending on how many times a horse is raced. You will
receive a DISCOUNT on the stabling fee every time you race your horse,
up to a maximum saving of the total stabling fee, being £1.02. There is also a
cap on the monthly total stabling fee for any stable in any one
calendar month – so go wild, see if you can pick Raceclubs.com’s new
champion!
When you buy a horse, you will choose:
A name for your horse;
A color (Black, Bay, Chestnut or Grey);
The age (Two or three year old);
The sex (Male or female); and
Whether to pay the upfront supplementary fee for your horse. The
supplementary fee (plus one win) gives your horse access into the
qualifying races for the Challenge series – the BIG stakes races. Pay £2.55
now for the fee, or spend £51.00 later, once you know if your horse is a
potential winner.
Each virtual horse comes with its own unique profile and racing characteristics.
There are 100,000 derivations of virtual horses in the sales ring. It is up to you to
determine what the racing characteristics of your horses are. All horses
purchased will initially not be graded. After a horse has run two consecutive races
(excluding claiming races) at 90%+ fitness, the horse will be graded as either a
Grade 1 or Grade 2 contender - based primarily on genetic seeding identified in
training, as well as race temperament identified in racing and race results in the
first 2 runs of the horse. All horses have a chance to race competitively and it is
ultimately you who decides if your horse has what it takes to win the BIG prize
money!
A Raceclubs.com Season represents 4 calendar months and your virtual horse’s
potential lifespan is 7 years or 28 calendar months. Every Raceclubs.com horse
is subject to ageing at the beginning of every Season. Your horse may improve
with ageing or it may go backwards relative to its peer group. These performance
changes will not result in your horse being re-graded.
3. DESIGN YOUR SILKS
Choose your silks by picking which design and colours best represent your
honourable stable. Take your time, as these silks will become your identity for
your very own stable of virtual horses. There is nothing more exhilarating than
seeing your horse and silks thundering down the finishing straight in first
position. Design your first set of silks for FREE. Silks cost US$10.00 thereafter if
you want to replace your current set.
Once you have chosen your silks and first horse, go into your Basket to conclude
your purchase. Thereafter you will be ready to train and then race your horse.
4. TRAIN YOUR VIRTUAL HORSE
You may train your horse three times daily – this is free with your monthly
stabling fee.
You should use training sessions to achieve three objectives:
To assess what your horse’s innate characteristics and racing ability is
over different track surfaces, distances and conditions;
To assess which products enhance your horse’s performance; and
To get your horse to a competitive fitness level.
Racing Ability
Training or Time Trials races are used to determine what race conditions best suit
your horse before nominating for its first race. The Time Trial horse represents a
benchmark against which you can measure the ability of your horse over various
conditions. You should always select the age and sex of a Time Trial horse that is
equivalent to the age and sex of your horse.
Each horse has a preferred distance, track type and going (track surface condition
generally determined by the prevailing weather). Methodically select different
distances and track conditions for training and assess what your horse prefers.
You will develop an understanding of the optimal racing distance and track
condition for your horse.
The genetic seeding of your horse is identified during training, and grading will be
predominantly based on the genetic seeding of your horse.
Fitness
Training your horse improves its fitness. The fitness of each horse is indicated by
a fitness gauge, which is depicted on the site as follows:
Each virtual horse is acquired at a fitness level of 50% and has a fitness gauge
(only displayed to you, the owner) that runs from 50% to 100%. You can
improve your horse’s performance in races by improving its fitness level. Be
careful not to push your horse beyond 100% fitness. Once a horse goes over the
top, the fitness gauge reverts to 50% and it can take time to regain peak racing
fitness. No negative effects are experienced when training your horse on a daily
basis. A horse’s fitness will not decline during a period of inactivity and it will
retain its existing fitness level until you train it or race it again.
A horse must run in 2 consecutive races at 90%+ fitness to be graded as either a
Grade 1 or Grade 2 horse.
The fitness gauge will increase based on your actions as follows (all randomly):
Training gallops (between 2%-5%)
Races (between 0%-4%)
Vitamins (between 5%-10%)
The Time Trial Race history of each horse is stored, so you can view its training
gallops at a future date as well.
Tip:
Train your horse methodically. Plan a series of training gallops over different
distances and conditions, which will give you a good guideline as to your horse’s
preferred racing conditions. Also, note how much the performance of your horse
changes over the same distance and condition after the application of
performance enhancing products.
Be sure to have a look at the Newbie's Training Guide, which can found on the
website, for further training advice and tips from one of Raceclubs' Champion
Trainers.
5. SELECT AND APPLY TACK SHOP PRODUCTS
All tack shop products are optional, but powerful tools in giving your horse the
speed, endurance and adaptability that it may require to be a winner in virtual
horse racing. Products have a different impact on the performance of each horse,
so you should use your training sessions to assess the impact of products on your
horse.
The products available on
Raceclubs.com are:
Vitamins – a supplement, which will improve fitness by between 5 and
10%. Performance will generally increase by between 2 to 2.5 lengths as
the fitness gauge moves to 100%.
Gelding - If your colt’s performances have been lacklustre and
disappointing, he’s ready for the cruellest cut of all. It could transform him
into a racing machine, generally improving his ability by between 0 and 3
lengths.
Alumites – a high performance shoe that is lighter and more effective
than the standard racing shoe that your horse comes with. Alumites may
be taken off and reapplied during the 30 days that they are valid for. By
selecting the Multi-apply feature, you can automatically replace alumites
that have expired. They may generally improve performance between 0
and 2 lengths.
Blinkers - Blinkers usually improve a horse’s performance, but may
sometimes be detrimental. They may be removed and reapplied, however.
Impact on performance is generally –1 to +1 length.
The table below gives the price, effect on gauge, and longevity of each product:
Product Price Effect on Gauge Longevity
Vitamins £1.02 5%-10% Expires after 30 days
Gelding £2.55 No effect Does not expire
Alumites £1.02 No effect Expires after 30 days
Blinkers £1.02 No effect Do not expire
Well, your horse should now be ready for a stakes race against other members’
horses, where real stakes money is up for grabs.
6. NOMINATE YOUR HORSE
The time has arrived for you to race your virtual horse against other members,
and to get your hands onto the lucrative prize money! On a daily basis there are
selections of different races attracting different prize pools. These are offered over
a variety of tracks, distances and conditions.
On the Nomination page you can select a race to nominate your horse into. When
you select to nominate a horse, all races that your horse is eligible for will
automatically be displayed. Races will be carded according to grade eligibility. To
be graded a horse has to run in two grading races at a fitness of at least 90%. A
horse may compete up in grades, but a graded horse may not compete in lower
grade races. Claiming races are open to all grades. Please refer to RACING
EXPLAINED for more detail on race categories and eligibility rules.
Each stable can race a maximum of four horses in any one race instance, and
each horse can only run in one race per day.
The minimum number of entrants for a race to run is 3 and the maximum 14.
Should more than 14 runners be nominated, a second instance of the race is
automatically generated. A race closes and becomes an upcoming race either an
hour before the race is scheduled or once the race has been filled.
7. RACING FOR THE PRIZE MONEY
You can view the details of a race, see the results, and view a race from the Race
Calendar. This is what a race looks like on the race calendar:
All nomination fees are accumulated in a prize pool (net of a 15% administrative
fee) and the first three / four horses share the prize money (dependent on the
number of runners).
If there are 4 or more runners, and you are placed in the top 4, you are assured
a share of the stakes as follows:
1st = 50%, 2nd = 25%, 3rd = 15%, 4th 10%.
If there are 3 runners, then you are assured a share of the stakes as follows:
1st = 60%, 2nd = 25%, 3rd = 15%.
Grade 1 races are the most lucrative, attracting high sponsorship and profile.
Grade 2 races attract lower stakes but still provide you with lots of fun and
entertainment.
A number of factors determine the outcome of a race, including:
1. A horse’s innate ability;
2. Its fitness level;
3. Applied products;
4. The draw;
5. Distance, track surface and going;
6. Handicapping;
7. Environmental element (even a good horse may have an off day).
The highlight of each racing season is the Challenge Finals where owners who
have prepared their 2, 3 and 4-7 year old Grade 1 horses through a series of
qualifying races, compete for the big prize Challenge Finals. Each season,
members have won tens of thousands in real prize money – you may just be
the next big winner!
If you feel that a particular horse no longer has a place in your stable, then you
can either:
1. Place the horse in a Claiming Race – another member may see potential in
your horse and claim it.
2. Auction your horse where the minimum bid will be £7.65 and you may even
get a higher bid for that horse; or
3. Retire your horse.
Before you do any of the above, you should ensure that you have raced
your horse in its designated races and studied its characteristics – by
applying your individual success strategy your horse may still provide
you with stakes winning opportunities.
8. WATCHING YOUR HORSE RACE IN LIVE 3D FOR THE PRIZE MONEY!
The 3D Race Viewer graphically displays a race on your screen. You can watch all
your horses running in Time Trials runs as well as races. You are able to identify
your horses by means of your unique silks, color of your horse, as well as the
saddlecloth number of your horse for that race.
You’ll be glued to your screen, watching your horse tense in the starting gates,
waiting to charge ahead. All your training and stable management comes down to
this moment…
As with real racing, a horse with mediocre genetics can surprise and become a
good prospect. Conversely, a horse with good genetics can disappoint in race
performance, sometimes as a result of low determination or perhaps from race
selection that does not suit the horse. The true ability will however still lurk
there, waiting to be revealed. It is the owner’s challenge to discover the best that
each horse has to offer and hopefully find a champion.
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