31oct10 We're off

Welcome to all the new people who are joining us this time - try and do the follower bit if you can be bothered but WOW! what a start, 12 winners, looks like people are taking it seriously. Nothing startling on the prices with the best only 5-1 (Kevin W). 32 bets on the opening day so also a good first day total as well.

I won't list all the winners too many and usually I would send the new and improved (and smaller) re-written excel file out tonight but not really worth it for just one day.

Provisional numbers confirmed

Vince reports that as at this morning we are 56 confirmed still hoping for latecomers from the burning rubble of Hereford!

Getting close to the start

Will be sending first test text this weekend look out for that and when that is all confirmed will go live on reminders

Plate Rule changes confirmed

New scoring system to replace the rather simplictic 5,2,1 system applied before is as follows:

1 runner - nil
2-4 runners - 2,0,0,0
5-7 runners - 3,1,0,0
8-15 runners - 5,2,1,0
16+ runners - 10,5,2,1

Our tests applied to the last 40 or so bets of the last comp show that basically the same people would win (maybe Jed would have pipped Gary D) but everything would be much closer as we would severly cut back all the points scored by winners in small races making it very worthwhile to pick a winner in a big handicap.

the idea is to keep the interest in the plate lasting much longer