have i got this right then?

hold up horses - prefer pace, because then the last part of the race is less likely to be a sprint and they will not be disadvantaged by being at the back

they prefer courses that could increase pace, - flat tracks, sharp tracks, galloping tracks?? NOT undulating or hilly tracks


front runners - prefer less pace, so they are in a good position at the end of the race when it turns into a sprint as teh pace has been steady. they like teh undulating and hilly tracks


correct me if i'm wrong...im really trying to implement this into my training and race course choices.. and anyone got any advice for even pace horses

thanks x

i only use even pace and im that far into the game breeding wise that they would win races on a cobble streets or racing up mount everest

You sometimes get the comment. Horse loves this course. I happen to have almost all my horses loving Longchamp for some strange reason and they race as handy even or hold up but all do well at Longchamp.

Even pace seem to do well at most courses

You seem to sort of have it the wrong way around, though as Leon said it is horses for courses.

Technically a hold up horse over a suitable trip would be better at an undulating or testing track because it will mean that the front runners and those handy will be less likely to keep going to the line. For example a horse would find it easier coming from the back at Newbury with its long, stamina sapping straight than at Chester with its tight turns and short straight.

A front runner will be greatly advantaged by a sharp track with lots of turns because it will be able to get up the inside to take the shortest route, encounter no traffic problems, and it will give the others a shorter distance to make up ground in the final stretch.

You're right when you say that a hold up horse would have to be pretty special to win a race with a decent front runner from a slow pace. Just like a front runner would have to be pretty special to win a good race off a very fast pace.

It is horses for courses though, you couldn't expect a 6f horse to win over 1m2f at Chester just because Chester is a sharp track. Just like you couldn't expect a 2m horse to win over 1m2f at Newbury just because it has a stiff straight, though this example is more likely. Or a hold up horse who hates undulations wouldn't win at Cheltenham just because it is a stiff track meaning it is harder for front runners. Or a front runner who hates tight turns to win just because it is Chester which favours those who race handy.

In game, as others have said Even Pace or Race Handy, Don't Lead is the best tactic to breed into your horses because they can basically come from almost anywhere and shouldn't be too disadvantaged if the pace is slow or fast.

For example I would have reservations about entering a front runner at Cheltenham due to it being a stiff and undulating track, but at somewhere like Kempton or Newbury I would have no qualms entering. Although they can be stiff tracks they are less stamina sapping than Chelts and it is easier to win from the front on a flat track than an undulating one. A hold up horse would probably find Kempton harder to win around than Cheltenham because the undulations will slow the front ones down allowing your horse to make up ground and save stamina at the back. Whereas at Kempton they can quicken from the front and leave you standing, meaning you have to use more energy to stay in touch than you want to so you don't have a lot left for the straight.

As an example I have a double/triple Champion Hurdle winner who has really struggled to win the Christmas Hurdle because he is a hold up horse. At Cheltenham in the Champion he can stalk them and then go on 3 out and leave them for dust, but at Kempton in the Christmas they can quicken away from him and he struggles to peg them back. I also have a 3 miler who is a front runner, he has won the King George at Kempton twice, but I wouldn't dream of entering him in the Gold Cup because he just won't stay the trip on that course. The jockey tells me that the 2m5f in the Ryan Air is stretching his stamina, so there is no way he'd stay the Gold Cup trip, despite having won multiple G1's over 2m-3m1f.

I hope this makes sense...

Most of mine race handy. Don't have any issues at Cheltenham with handy horses. One example below

thanks for the replies i will try to implement these tips into my game x

so..what type of horse does a galloping track suit? apart from a large horse with large strides...i was assuming that on a gallopiong track there is more likely to be pace?

Not really. The pace depends upon the entrants, but a sharper track often lulls you into going faster. Whether that is the same as the game I don't know. A flat galloping track should suit most, if you have a horse running at a trip shorter than ideal then running them at a galloping track will allow them to keep up and hopefully, as they should gallop for longer than the others, be more likely to win the race.

The term 'galloping track' doesn't really refer to a faster gallop. More that it allows horses the time to extend and gallop over the track rather than chop and change between cantering and galloping. Horses aren't very maneuverable at a gallop so a track with big long straights, which is what a galloping track is, allow them to gallop and open up their strides. Hope that makes sense and isn't too patronising if you do know a bit about horses!

no thats great.... i only do the riding im not used to making declerations!!!! now into season 2019 just trying to maximise what ive got
thanks again