The RaceClubs.com Challenge Series ... Score your goals at the RaceClubs.com track... Buy Your Horses Today!

** The Challenge Series – Challenge Final Or Consolation Instance **

Being part of the challenge series is an exciting time for all trainers here at RaceClubs.com. The feeling of finally getting a horse worthy to compete in the series is brilliant and although you may feel on top of the world, the daunting task of deciding where to aim your horse will soon be upon you.

The hardest part of the decision making is whether your horse is deemed good enough to be classed amongst the elite and aim for championship glory. It’s all too easy to say you have a champion in the midst, only to be dogged by the more superior animal. The competition is fierce and the more experienced trainers would know from day one the path to the final their horse will take, so with this in mind the best advice would be to think like a champion trainer.

The first thing that needs to be considered when deciding to aim for a series campaign is; can you afford to race the horse without winning? This is a vital consideration as you will normally find that a rather large majority of the qualifying races will contain horses that are being "sandbagged" into the final. So with this is mind you will need to consider the implications and impact on your horse if a weight penalty of 2lbs is gained through victory in a qualifier. If you are shrewd, it is possible to strategically place your horse second, third or fourth, boosting both points scored and horse earnings, thus minimising the cost of the campaign. However, in reality this is an exceptionally challenging task. With the random affecting your horse in a positive way and with most of the field running unfit, you could easily win the race and damage your chances in the final itself. 

The second and most important decision is whether or not to go for the final or sit back and seek glory in a consolation. There can be heartbreak at the end of a season if this decision falters. Having aimed your horse for that final, preparing for all eventualities, only to come up short in quality as the stalls open can be a devastating pill to swallow and may have cost your stable dearly financially. The importance of making the right decision can make or break your season. Consulting experienced trainers can often help your cause but sometimes it’s good to learn about the horse yourself and make the mistakes that you can learn from for the future. 

So why would you want to aim for a consolation, when the rewards are far greater when winning a challenge final? Obviously, there may be better horses within the series who you feel have the measure of your horse who may be considered as "avoid at all cost". With this in mind it is always beneficial to think of bonus credits as cash. After all, they can be spent in the sales ring in exactly the same way as cash so where lies the difference, apart from the fact that the credits cannot be withdrawn as a cash balance from your %site name% account or used to make auction purchases. Consolation races carry a very nice incentive, especially if you have a string of horses that can represent your stable in multiple instances.

Racing in consolation races over the finals three day festival is as exciting as being in a final itself. The prize pool is still very tasty and usually your horse can race at a level it will be very competitive at. It goes without saying that the consolation races are a vital part of the challenge environment and although there has been varied opinion as to their importance, they are here still and for the time being, here to stay. So embrace the challenge series consolation races with the merit that they deserve. Success in consolation races may not be as prestigious as the final itself but they invariably cascade quality fields and the reward, both on a personal level of contentment and with a win, financially benefiting your stable, it is fair to say that they are well worth the time invested in getting your horse a run! 

The Countdown Continues - 20 Days To Go! 

Member Submission: Moletown 

Starting Points

- Join RaceClubs.com 
- Buy a Horse with cash
- Enter into a Race

 

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