You are required to select two horses, in each of the 12 races, who you believe will get beaten.   This is a risk-reward game - the more favoured the runner, the more points you will earn, however if your selection wins you will lose points and lose a life. Scoring - if your runner does not win you will earn points equal to 100 divided by the Tote win dividend, eg. if the tote dividend was $3.50 you will earn 100/3.5 = 28.57 points.  If your horse wins you will lose the same number of  points you would have earned had it been beaten (ie. 100 /Win dividend) and you will also lose one life.   You will have a total of three lives on the day - if you reach three winners you are eliminated from this round.  You are not eliminated from the entire 10 week comp but you will limit your ability to earn points in this round. Standings - final standings for the day (and points earned) will be determined firstly by how far you progress, and then by the number of points that you earned across all 12 races. For example if 5 entrants are the first eliminated after say 3 races then they will fill the final 5 placings and be split by points earned (or lost) over the 12 races.  If only 12 people make it all the way to the finish they will fill the top 12 placings and be split by points earned.  Someone who earns 100 points and is eliminated after 8 races, will finish ahead of someone who earns 200 points and is eliminated after 7 races. Races have been listed in chronological order and will be scored in that order (even if there are delays). Best bets (optional) - over the 12 races you can nominate two as best bet (or should I say worst bet) races - you don't have to use them if you choose not to - again risk & reward.  A best bet selection will earn double points for both runners in that race, but will also lose double points if one (or both) of your selections wins.  Note, you will only lose one life (not two) if a best bet selection wins. Scratchings - if one or both of your selections is scratched (regular or late) you can replace them up until the posting deadline, otherwise you will earn zero points - you may survive 12 races by picking scratchings but my history with this LGL comps tells me that you are unlikely to win that way (and it's also not much fun).   Abandoned races - we need a minimum of 6 races to be run for the results to stand.  Any less than 6 and we will re-run the round next week.  If you had a best bet in an abandoned race you can change best bet races up until the posting deadline - after that is just the rub of the green. Dead-heats - if one of your picks dead-heats for first, it will count as a winner and you will lose points based on the full win dividend (not the half they pay out) and lose one life.  In the highly unlikely event that both of your picks dead heat for 1st you will lose points for both but only lose one life.

PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY - THIS WEEK IS A LAY FORMAT - YOU ARE PICKING RUNNERS WHO YOU BELIEVE WILL GET BEATEN. More detailed rules in the following post but in simple terms. Pick two runners in each of the 12 races listed below.  You want them to get beaten.  The shorter they are the greater the potential reward but also the greater the risk or potential penalty.   You can specify up to two races as Best bet races (but you can choose to have only one or no best bet races if you'd prefer). This week's 12 races are as follows: To be updated on Wednesday night   Posting deadline:   Please enter saddlecloth numbers, not the horses names.  And you will notice that unlike most comps, the races are listed in chronological order - please submit your selections in the order listed above.   I will enter your picks into the scoring spreadsheet in the order you list them so if you use a different order you'll end up with some muddled up races.

Only selectively grumpy? I manage it about most things.

Well after the running of the Otaki Maori WFA Classic these are the pre race and post race Ratings: El Vencedor  112 up to 114       1st Malt Time     104 down to 103   8th [beaten 5.8L] Orchestral     102 stays on 102  3rd [beaten 3.5L] Any comments?  

No, only when silly buggers are attacking my home track of Trentham 😂

Watching the news recently, Trump is looking as dozy, demented and senile as Biden at his worst. But then, of course, he is now at the age he previously stated was far too old to be the P of the USA. 

Perhaps - i don't agree about the camber.  But if the surface is shifty and horses don't want to go on it how do you improve enough to run a 23 second 400m or better?

Aren't we all 🤣

Don Skelton used to post on here as Nod. I met him at a Racecafe function at Ellerslie years ago. Bit of a grumpy old bugger but then so am I 🙄

The lack of camber straightening up has always been there and wide horses improving ofter get bumped. But there is 380m to the finish and good horse can still win. No excuse for a stop - start pace   

Recyclable straws l hope 🤣

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) distance still a question for Built, the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots March 22 will play an important role in determining the colt's future.View the full article

Plus in a pre-meeting interview (recorded but since deleted) they were talking about moving the rail entering the straight because the turn-in was too tight? That being the case, I'm assuming that'd make improving wide on the turn even more difficult than just the camber?

I'm not sure that is the case anymore certainly not as steep as it once was.  Conversely a 1200m race is 1080 meters downhill at Ellerslie.  The biggest difference is most races in Hong Kong are run at pace and every horse gets a chance over the last 400m.  The old race record for 1200m was 1:07.7.  They'll never get close to that again.  Sha Tin on a Strathayr is 1:07.5.

Horse Racing Radio Network, the award-winning broadcast organization based in Lexington, announced today that its popular weekly Trainer Talk show presented by Fasig-Tipton will be moving to a new day and time.View the full article

Aron Wellman joined the BloodHorse Monday podcast Feb. 24 to discuss Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Kentucky Derby hopefuls Built and Journalism. Frank Angst and Chance Moquett also highlight a new ratings system being developed by Equibase.View the full article

La Cara faces six 3-year-old fillies in the $215,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park March 1, including graded stakes winner The Queens M G. View the full article

Any publicity is good publicity....👏