Hi, I've had the game since day one - and because it's just so great I have until today only played the flat game!

Just updated patches and started a new UK jumps game but the age old problem of novices still appears to be there.

I quickly skipped to Cheltenham and noticed a couple of problems:

1) A horse which had ran in the Haldon Gold Cup, Peterborough Chase and Victor Chandler Chase ran in and won the Arkle - which is obviously for novices.
2) The very next day the same horse ran in and won the Queen Mother Champion Chase!!

Clearly this horse should not have been able to run in the Arkle

Someone has also suggested a minimum number of days between running for game horses as it is just so unrealistic when these instances occur.

I am sure this has been raised but could not find anything in a quick search.

Does anyone have a solution?

Thanks
Paul

Was that horse in it's first season over fences though? Or had it won over fences in previous seasons? If it was the first season then it could enter all those races and still enter the Arkle, not realistic but it would be allowed.

Ah of course!!

Yes this was it's first season so technically allowed.

However, this could happen every season with different horses?!

I've just tested this and successfully entered a horse I ran in the Grand National in the novice chase at the Scottish National meeting. Bugger.

Maybe there was a reason I didn't play the jumps - such a shame, as it looks great but I cant play it with these unrealistic issues.

A novice just won the gold cup in real life and a novice would be allowed in the national.

God's Own won the Haldon Gold Cup and then ran in the Tingle Creek and then was second in the Arkle. These things can and do happen from time to time.

I'll tell u a trainer that did it a lot and that was Martin Pipe, he was never scared to run a novice in open race. He won a champion hurdle with Make a Stand who was a novice.

fair points ghostzapper but its going to annoy me when the arkle is won by the next days champion chaser every other season!

I'll agree with u on that, if mark could stop horses running the next day that would be great. This is the first SO game that I play the jumps more than the flat. I love the horses jumping the fences and smashing them like they do in real life.

A novice shouldn't be allowed in the National. But that depends whether the game runs on the updated BHA rules or not. I think the previous rules were 4 runs over fences and a rating over 120. Now no novices are allowed in the National. Not the same for Scottish, Welsh, Midlands etc National copies though.

Cat Cause of Causes+ Broadway Buffalo are entered this year and they finished first and second in the novice 4miler at Cheltenham. I thought the rules were/are that u either got to have won or placed over three miles+

Here we go:

The Crabbie’s Grand National is for seven-year-olds and upwards who, up to and including March 23, have been placed first, second, third or fourth in a chase of three miles or more and who are allotted a rating of 120 or more by the BHA Head of
Handicapping Phil Smith following a review of the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and including February 15, 2015.
Horses who are not qualified for a rating in Great Britain or Ireland at closing may also be entered. Such horses may be eligible for a weight providing the handicapper is satisfied that the horse’s racecourse performances up to and including February 15 would merit a minimum rating of 120. To qualify, horses must have run at least three times in chases run under the Rules of
Racing of the same Recognised Racing Authority up to and including February 15. At the handicapper’s discretion, such horses may be allocated a rating. The decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final.
A novice horse shall only be qualified to run in this race if it has run a minimum of three times in chases in Great Britain, Ireland or France in accordance with Rule (F)42.5.
Read more at http://www.thecrabbiesgrandnational.co. ... R9YDmT1.99

Im having a problem with novices but its that horses are being allowed to run in novice races after they've already won a race.

sounds similar to my "issue".

if its the first season as a novice, the horse could basically run in and win any race and still be eligible for novice races.

what races are they Peter?

Are they still in the same season after the won the novice race? If they are then that's fine, if not they shouldn't be allowed. If they win after I think May 1st then they're still classified as a novice for the next season until December 31st (I think), but I didn't think that the game ran like this.

RE the National, I must have gotten confused. I know there was talk of not allowing novices, but I think they increased the minimum age from 6-7 which rules out many novices anyway didn't they?

I have given up on the jumps game in so6 and gone back to playing so5 which I find much more enjoyable. I just feel apart from the graphics nothing has improved on this side of the game but actually declined. I found no realism to it at all big handicaps such as, the Greatwood, Ladbroke, Hennessy, Imperial Cup, Betfair Hurdle and most handicaps at Cheltenham festival just to name a few are just littered with 90 rated rubbish and it just annoys me. I have tried increasing the game pool and this just dilutes it even more.

I seem to be the only one bothered by this so have put it down to me being fussy!

Are you on the latest patch? If not that could be why, there have been a number of handicap tweaks which seem to have helped but it may take a season or two to filter through. You are definitely not the only person bothered, just read the bug and suggestions thread.