2019 TRF Flat Ten To Follow Competition

Thought the day of the Lincoln and Dubai World Cup was an appropriate time to launch the new Flat 10 To Follow Competition:

What To Do:
Pick 10 Horses To Follow, nominating one as a Star/Nap horse.
Please put your horses in alphabetical order but do not number them 1 to 10 (just helps me score).
At the same time, name a further 2 horses as Substitutes (more of that later).
Other than 2 year olds, theracingforum members (TRFers) may select any horse trained in any country.
However, points are scored only in Britain, Ireland and France and only by finishing in the…
First three in Group 1’s, first two in Group 2’s, or winning Group 3’s.
Wildcard Window gives a mid-season opportunity to replace 1 of the 10 with any horse of your choice.

Altering Your Entry Prior To The 13th April Start Date:
If changing your mind or a horse is injured, TRFers who’ve made an early entry can change their horse/s at any time PRIOR to the competition starting on Saturday 13th April. But please for my sake keep this to a minimum and would help me if it’s done by: Copy and pasting your original entry and clearly showing those discarded as “OUT” and the successor/s as “IN”.

Start And Finish:
Competition starts with the first British turf Group race of 2019 (John Porter) on Saturday April 13th; Newbury’s Spring Trials (Greenham & Fred Darling) day. Any previous Group race on that day will not count towards this competition. Competition ends with the result of the final Group race on the QIPCO Champion’s Day card on October 19th. Any subsequent Group race elsewhere on that day will not count. Anyone disputing the competition result has until 6:00pm the following day to appeal.

Rolling Start:
To take full advantage of the maximum number of potential Group/scoring races in the competition, TRFers can post their 10 To Follow before the official start date of April 13th. Alternatively, you could decide on entering later, forgoing early points for (possibly) a clearer view of the season to come (your choice). For entries made after April 13th points are scored from the time of posting your entry onwards (the next full race). Entries MUST be posted BEFORE the deadline – when starting gates open for the 2000 Guineas on May 4th. If attracting fewer than 20 entries the competition is canceled.

Strictly 1 entry per person:
Only theracingforum members are entitled to enter and only 1 entry per person. Anyone entering twice under different usernames will have both entries removed/discounted/disqualified.

Prize Money:
No entry fee and the prize of a Timeform Racehorses Of 2019 annual (worth £79) will be awarded to the winner. I see in the jumps 10 to follow some TRFers generously donated prize money. Am sure if anyone wants to donate to this competition it will be gratefully received. Admin/David Cormack has agreed to hold any prize money during the competition. We can decide prior to May 4th – depending on how much is donated (if any) – how it’s distributed (eg whether the person finishing second gets anything).

Competition Winner:
Winner is the TRFer scoring most points during the competition. In the event of a tie, the entry with most points from Group 1’s is the decider. If still tied the highest Star/Nap horse’s score wins. If still tied the best 9 horse total from each list; then 8 etc until a winner is found. If lists can not be separated it’s a tie and prize money (if any) divided equally between them… I’ll cut the book in half!

Subsequent Disqualifications:
Competition results will be determined by whatever happens on the day. So day of race stewards enquirey reversals DO alter results; subsequent appeal reversals and/or doping disqualifications do NOT.

REPLACEMENTS:
Just as a football manager can replace up to three players during a match, TRFers are allowed to replace up to THREE horses during the competition using two Substitutes and/or one Wildcard.

Substitutes:
At the SAME TIME as naming your TEN To Follow, TRFers also need to name TWO reserves (substitutes) which do not count towards your totals unless/until substitution… Either replacing injured horses or used tactically. Points scored by the sub prior to substitution do NOT count towards your total but any points previously scored by your discarded horse ARE counted. Substitute/s can be deployed at any time of the TRFer’s choosing. TRFers can NOT reintroduce a discarded horse. It is possible to substitute a substitute. Substitutes must be posted before the intended off time of the horse’s next race, otherwise that race will not count towards your total. To use a substitute: Please copy and paste your 10 To Follow entry, clearly marking the horse/s you want replaced “OUT” and the substitute/s “IN”.

Wildcard Window:
TRFers can make ONE Wildcard transfer. ANY horse of your choice (other than two year olds) can replace one of your “ten”; but can only be deployed during the mid-season Wildcard Window. This window opens after the last European Group race run on Sunday 21st July, closing (and all Wildcards enabled) as gates open for the first European Group race on 27th July (Ascot’s King George VI day). Points previously scored by your discarded horse ARE counted. To use a Wildcard: Copy and paste your 10 To Follow entry, clearly marking the horse you want replaced “OUT” and Wildcard “IN”.

SCORING:
A Betting Bonus is added to Group Points to produce the Race Score achieved. That Race Score is added to your 10 To Follow total.

Group Points:
Only Group races in Britain, Ireland or France count towards the competition:

Group 1:
Colts & Open races…..1st 1000 points, 2nd 400, 3rd 200
Fillies & Mares races….1st 800 points, 2nd 320, 3rd 160

Group 2:
Colts & Open races…..1st 400, 2nd 200
Fillies & Mares races..1st 320, 2nd 160

Group 3:
Colts & Open races…..1st 200
Fillies & Mares races..1st 160

Number Of Runners:
At least 5 runners are needed for Second place to score.
At least 8 runners are needed for Third place to score.

Two Group 2’s Counted As Group 1’s:
Even with recent upgrading of Ireland’s Flying Five and Goodwood Cup to Group 1 level, stayers and sprinters have fewer Group 1’s than mile and middle distances. Therefore, Goodwood’s 5f King George Stakes is scored the same as Group 1’s along with British Champions Long Distance Cup. This also means all Group races on the competition’s final (Champions) day card are scored as Group 1’s.

Walkovers:
Walkovers only really happen when one horse frightens off others, therefore Walkovers will count with only Group Points awarded for a win. Obviously no betting so no Betting Bonus.

Betting Bonus:
Betting Bonuses are awarded in relation to quality of race and finishing position.

Group 1:
Winner’s Odds X 30
Second’s Odds X 6 (a fifth of winner)
Third’s Odds X 3 (half of Second)

Group 2:
Winner’s Odds X 20
Second’s Odds X 4 (a fifth of winner)
No Thirds are scored in Group 2’s

Group 3:
Winner’s Odds X 10
No Seconds or Thirds are scored in Group 3’s

All points are rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, with any exact half (.5) rounded up.

Betting Bonus Table:
…………….Group 2’s…………..Group 1………….Group 3’s
Price…….1st…..2nd.………1st…..2nd….3rd……….1st
1\22+………1…….0………….1…….0…….0………….0
1\20……….1…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\18……….1…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\16……….1…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\15……….1…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\14……….1…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\13……….2…….0………….2…….0…….0………….1
1\12……….2…….0………….2…….1…….0………….1
1\11……….2…….0………….3…….1…….0………….1
1\10……….2…….0………….3…….1…….0………….1
1\9…………2…….0………….3…….1…….0………….1
2\17……….2…….0………….4…….1…….0………….1
1\8…………3…….1………….4…….1…….0………….1
2\15……….3…….1………….4…….1…….0………….1
1\7…………3…….1………….4…….1…….0………….1
2\13……….3…….1………….5…….1…….0………….2
1\6…………3…….1………….5…….1…….0………….2
2\11……….4…….1………….5…….1…….0………….2
1\5…………4…….1…………6…….1…….0………….2
2\9…………5…….1…………7…….1…….0………….2
1\4…………5…….1…………8…….2…….1………….3
2\7…………6…….1…………9…….2…….1………….3
30\100…….6…….1…………9…….2…….1………….3
1\3…………7…….1………..10…….2…….1………….3
4\11………..7…….1………..11…….2…….1………….4
2\5…………8…….2………..12…….2…….1………….4
4\9…………9…….2………..13…….3…….1………….4
40\85………9…….2………..14…….3…….1………….5
1\2………..10…….2………..15…….3…….2………….5
8\15……….11…….2………..16…….3…….2………….5
4\7………..11…….2………..17…….3…….2………….6
8\13……….12…….2………..18…….4…….2………….6
4\6………..13…….3………..20…….4…….2………….7
8\11……….15…….3………..22…….4…….2………….7
4\5………..16…….3………..24…….5…….2………….8
5\6………..17…….3………..25…….5…….3………….8
10\11……..18…….4………..27…….5…….3………….9
20\21……..19…….4………..29…….6…….3…………10
Evens….,….20…….4………..30…….6…….3………..10
21\20………21…….4………..32…….6…….3………..11
11\10………22…….4………..33…….7…….3………..11
6\5…………24…….5………..36…….7…….3………..12
5\4…………25…….5………..38…….8…….4………..13
11\8……….28…….6………..41…….8…….4…………14
6\4…………30…….6………..45…….9…….4………..15
13\8……….33…….7………..49…..10…….5…………16
7\4…………35…….7………..53…..10…….5………..18
15\8……….38…….8………..56…..11…….6…………19
2\1…………40…….8………..60…..12…….6………..20
85\40………43…….9………..64…..13…….6………..21
9\4…………45…….9………..68…..14…….7………..23
5\2…………50……10………..75…..15…….8………..25
11\4……….55……11………..83…..17…….8………..28
3\1…………60……12……….90…..18…….9………..30
100\30……..67…..13……….100…..20…..10………..33
7\2…………70…..14………105…..21…..11…..,……35
4\1…………80…..16………120…..24…..12…………40
9\2…………90…..18………135…..27…..14…………45
5\1………..100…..20………150…..30…..15…………50
11\2………110…..22………165…..33…..17…………55
6\1……..,..120…..24………180…..36…..18…………60
13\2………130…..26………195…..39…..20…………65
7\1………..140…..28………210…..42…..21…………70
15\2………150…..30………225…..45…..23…………75
8\1………..160…..32………240…..48…..24…………80
17\2………170…..34………255…..51…..26…………85
9\1………..180…..36………270…..54…..27…………90
10\1………200…..40………300…..60…..30………..100
11\1………220…..44………330…..66…..33………..110
12\1………240…..48………360…..72…..36………..120
13\1………260…..52………390…..78…..39………..130
14\1………280…..56………420…..84…..42………..140
15\1………300…..60………450…..90…..45………..150
16\1………320…..64………480…..96…..48………..160
18\1………360…..72………540….108…..54………..180
20\1………400…..80………600….120…..60………..200
22\1………440…..88………660….132…..66………..220
25\1………500….100……..750….150…..75………..250
28\1………560….112……..840….168…..84………..280
33\1………660….132……..990….198…..99………..330
40\1………800….160…….1200….240….120……….400
50\1……..1000….200…….1500….300….150……….500
66\1……..1320….264…….1980….396….198……….660
80\1……..1600….320…….2400….480….240……….800
100\1+…..2000….400…….3000….600….300………1000

Betting Bonus points will be calculated from the official British or Irish SP.
For French races Industry SPs quoted on the Racing Post Website will be used. These often use different odds to the table above, but are worked out the same. eg 63/10 as a Group 2 winner would be 63 ‘/, 10 = 6.3 X 20 = 126 Betting Bonus + the 400 Group Points = 526 Race Score.
French Jump Racing’s “Group” races (including bumpers) are not included in this competition.

Star/Nap horse:
Your Star/Nap horse scores double Group Points, but NOT double Betting Bonus Points. So a Nap horse winning a Group 1 @ 10/1 gets 1000 X 2 = 2000 Group points… but the same as all other TRFers Betting Bonus 30 X 10 = 300. Therefore 2000 + 300 = 2300 instead of 1300 for non-napped. If a Star/Nap horse is discarded in a substitution/wildcard its successor does not inherit the star/nap. TRFers can only change their Star/Nap horse BEFORE the competition starts on April 13th.

Dead Heats:
In the event of a dead heat the points each individual horse would’ve scored by an outright win (or second or third) is divided by the number of dead heaters. eg a 3/1 Group 1 outright winner scores 1090 (1000 Group points + 90 Betting Bonus). Therefore, if it is one of two dead heaters – that 3/1 shot scores 1090 ‘/, 2 = 545. If three dead heaters 1090 ‘/, 3 = 363. Any 12/1 shot would’ve got 1360 for an outright Group 1 win (1000 + 360) and therefore 1360 ‘/, 2 = 680 for two dead heaters, 453 for three. Normal Dead Heat rules apply as to the places. eg When two dead heaters for first place there is no second place scored (two firsts and then a third) etc.

Postponements:
If Newbury Trials day is postponed the competition starts with the first European Group race that day.
If the 2000 Guineas is postponed the entry deadline date is put back to whichever Guineas is run first.
If Champions Day is postponed the rearranged Champions Day card will be the only subsequent meeting to count. Any Group race postponed until after Champions day will not count. If NO rearranged 2019 Champions Day (eg equine flu) – the competition is decided on results up to the intended finishing time on October 19th. The 2019 Ten To Follow competition is canceled completely (no winner, no prizes) if fewer than 100 days of British Flat racing.

Thanks to all TRFers who’ve helped me with these rules, particularly Jac and Nathan who’ve pushed me in the right direction and David for (if necessary) acting as treasurer.

Now all I have to do is win back my Timeform annual.

Good Luck Everyone.