delete

I hope you didn't take offence at my comment re small trainers?

Thanks for your kind words about the schedule. I cant take full credit though. Rich started it and had most of it mapped out, I just finished it off and made some changes after asking trainers what they wanted. Gray rightly pointed out we needed more handicaps.

Also thanks for your feedback. It is vital that as many trainers as possible contribute their thoughts and ideas for improvement to the schedule. It will never be perfect but it should be as balanced and enjoyable for every trainer that enters the league. From those greedy enough to win ten races a week down to those who win five in a season. Every trainer is as important as the next.

Do you think you learnt a lot about the league this season? Choosing your stable, placement of horses etc?

I think the schedule was excellent, as a small trainer there was plenty of races for us but I think even us smaller trainers will have improved enough to adding perhaps 5 or 10 racing points per race. I think the lower rated races will struggle to get entrants in them otherwise.

Just leave the 0-80 handicaps in.. if no one enters we can always increase the ratings to 0-110

I think the schedule on the flat was pretty good I know someone mention less G1 races although I didn't notice maybe because any Group race I flicked past but less G1's means Andy will start Farming all the other group races he so greedy.

I do think the handicaps low banded ones where light sometime's especially the extreme distance's but I would rather keep them and rather upping to 110 on low entries rather see more 0-85 or 0-90 tried first.

Heh . I think some forget this was my first season. I simply wanted to see what I could win. I found a table for one of the previous seasons where Scatters won 95/385 (24.68%) races that season and I was hoping to beat that . I can say I came close but no cigar (81/354 = 22.88%) .

However next season will be different. I won't even have close to a full stable. This season I had a choice of 4 horses for pretty much every race I wanted to enter bearing in mind the overlap in distance rules and this allowed me to pick up G2/3s with horses that hadn't won that class of race meaning no weight penalties e.g. Domnu didn't win a single G1 race until week 12. Next season I am planning on entering the G1s and not much else. I simply want to race the best horses and see where I measure up and next season is going to be a lot more competitive as I see Jamie/Paul/Jalupen all coming very close to what I know my horses can run at best at present.

If it were me, I'd increase the number of G2/3s and decrease the G1s. There were 65 G1s and 63 G2/3s. That's 128 races in total out of the 354 which is roughly speaking a 1/3rd. I think that number works. I'd have 120 group races and have 40 of each G1/2/3s. Of the 40 races I'd have 8 each at 5/6f, 7/8f, 9/10f, 11/12f and 13f+. And then split them up so you have 4 open to both sexes and 2 each for colt/fillies. This season there were too many 1m G1s. Also too many 12f G1 filly only races.

No offence taken; I consider myself a small trainer.
As for what I learnt, I could have chosen a slightly more balanced team, but I think I was quite sensible with the placement; making sure to run in a maiden first, then straight into handicaps.
The other thing I learnt was that my multiple group 1 winning superstars were actually selling platers in disguise

My opinion on number of races - if some think 30+ races a week is too much and 20 is too little - how about 25 races a week? I like that number.

To be honest I think if you shorten the races you will only take the low grade races away there are lot more main races each week than handicap races if you decide to shorten then I think pulling back on the group races first would be the best way to go.

Gray

I'm keen Leon although it may be working, my laptop could still be a liability but if you send us an e-mail at nick_driver@hotmail.com with what needs doing etc etc then I will let you know.

welcome aboard Nick

Don't think reducing the schedule is a good option. Increasing stable size to 25 might be better. That would ensure more entries in races that had little entries this season

would that not give the dominant even more domination
this is why rich cut it down to 20

Any news on this will it be extended to 25 or kept at 20 personally I would extend it but I was never in favour for cutting back to 20 when rich put it forward and although it was 20 last season it was still dominated by a few elite trainers so in my opinion the cut back to 20 didn't work and if more trainers have more horse's the trainers with handicappers can fill up the low banded races which is what we want isn't.

Paul have you sorted out the extra week on the flat schedule and who's doing it I know the league wont start until September but the holidays are coming and before you know it it will be September the Jump schedule is fininshed and Leon as been sent the Final Schedule and is Happy with it I have just sent the Mini Schedules 13 Flat and 13 Jump schedules to check over for the August Trials.


Gray.

p.s if you cant get matt to do it or someone else I will have a quick look through.

I have asked Matt in this post with no response not a yes or a no
Last i heard was Matt wanted no more to do with the running of the Lge which we have to respect
i would do it but don't know how
so i have to take Matts silence as a no therefore if you are happy to look at it that would be great

talking about 25 just using Andy as an example if he (or the next dominant force)had 25 horses would they not just mop up every G1?
is that really a good thing for the lge?

Andy won 34 G1s and next best was 7 with 5 more horses that gap could widen
or put it this way Andy 34 the rest of field 31 thats well over 50% of G1s
all i am putting out there is more horses more dominance???
its a question not an opinion

and in no way is this a pop at Andy he fully deserved his success
all i am doing is putting out a set of questions if the majority want 25 then fine

it makes no odds to me i will have a very small team next season only working on 1 distance
and almost loosing the will to live doing it