Fantasy Racing: Stable Stars 2017-18 results * no 2018-19 game *

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in mini-league this week
1 Paul Branigan, 175
2 Ian Brown, 155
3 Sam David, 155
4 Liam Mannion, 150

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (1) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,132 points, 206th overall
2 (4) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,090, 356th
3 (6) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,066
4 (3) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,062
5 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,030

6 (4) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,007
7 (8) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,005
8 (9) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 926
9 (7) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 905
10 (10) Chris Beard, Walkley, 854

Overall leaders of 11,929
1 (2) Kevin Holland, 1,355
2 (1) Dave Jones, 1,352
3 (-) Fionn Mulvihill, 1,300

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in mini-league this week
1 Paul Branigan, 85
2 David Browne, 85
3 Liam Mannion, 80
4 Ian Brown, 70

Fiso Federation in full
1 (1) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,217 points, 140th overall
2 (2) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,170, 256th
3 (3) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,151, 329th
4 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,132
5 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,090

6 (6) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,052
7 (7) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,030
8 (8) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 971
9 (9) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 905
10 (10) Chris Beard, Walkley, 899

11 (11) Diana Walker, BringBackTheBiff, 875
12 (12) Julian Ravilious, Pigeons, 780
13 (13) Steve King, Stronger in Europe, 541
14 (14) John Pickering, DickysDonkeys, 517
15 (15) Mark Teague, Skylark, 475

Overall leaders of 11,929
1 (1) Kevin Holland, 1,425
2 (3) Fionn Mulvihill, 1,405
3 (2) Dave Jones, 1,397

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in mini-league this week
1 Liam Mannion 155
2 Ian Brown 155
3 Paul Branigan 145
4 Karl Zammit-Haber 137

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (1) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,347 points, 149th overall
2 (2) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,325, 196th
3 (3) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,296, 265th
4 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,287
5 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,215

6 (7) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,155
7 (6) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,132
8 (8) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,108
9 (11) Diana Walker, BringBackTheBiff, 1,005
10 (10) Chris Beard, Walkley, 994

Overall leaders of 12,007
1 (1) Kevin Holland 1,580
2 (-) Dick O'Shea 1,525
3 (3) Dave Jones 1,522

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in mini-league this week
1 Karl Zammit-Haber, 100
2 Paul Branigan, 95
3 Liam Mannion, 95
4 Ian Brown, 90

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (2) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,420, 165th overall
2 (1) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,412, 175th
3 (3) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,391, 216th
4 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,377
5 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,280

6 (8) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,208
7 (7) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,182
8 (6) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,175
9 (9) Diana Walker, BringBackTheBiff, 1,055
10 (-) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 1,045

Overall leaders of 12,007
1 (1) Kevin Holland 1,625
2 (2) Dick O'Shea 1,620
3 (3) Dave Jones 1,612

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in Fiso league this week
1 Dean ALLEN, 145
2 Paul Branigan, 125
3 John Gooch, 120
4 David Browne, 100
5 Karl Zammit-haber, 100

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
* last year's champ is mini-league's third different leader in three weeks *
1 (3) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,516, 143rd overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,512, 150th
3 (1) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,470, 247th
4 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,452
5 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,425

6 (6) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,308
7 (7) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,277
8 (8) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,225
9 (10) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 1,165
10 (-) Chris Beard, Walkley, 1,119

Overall leaders of 12,059
1 (3) Dave Jones 1,712
2 (-) Jack Lawrence, 1,706
3 (-) Darren Weafer 1,702

[SamD]

Freeze disrupts jump racing for a few days:
https://www.racingpost.com/news/news/be ... rdy/321432

An opportunity to use transfers in preparation for Cheltenham bonus races?

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Best scores in Fiso league this week
1 Dean Allen (again), 45
2 Ian Brown, John Pickering, Paul Branigan, Karl Zammit-Haber, all 15

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,531, 208th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,512, 240th
3 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,470, 347th
4 (3) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,470, 348th
5 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,467

6 (6) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,323
7 (7) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,277
8 (8) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,225
9 (9) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 1,165
10 (10) Chris Beard, Walkley, 1,119

Overall leaders of 12,082
1 (1) Dave Jones 1,762
2 (2) Jack Lawrence, 1,751
3 (-) Kevin Holland, 1,750

[wahine]

im well out of this due to making too many mistakes with missing transfers and star horses and non runners but i do enjoy watching Cheltenham and will be nice to have an interest so ive kept on with my stable.
do you think i should keep Uknowhatimeanharry or trade him for something better in the market?
have a great week everyone.

[Striker]

There is a case for dumping 'arry but if he is clearly the worst of your 10 non star horses, you can't be in that bad a shape. Personally I'd go for Yanworth if you've already got all the more obvious ones. In his weekly column Alan King has been favouring this route rather than his chasing options, where he wouldn't have been a forlorn hope, for some time now despite the earlier move away from hurdling.

[Striker]

Very strange!

in the last couple of days I've made my three main transfers, at different times, and possibly on different devices. My team on the transfer page is correct and includes my three new horses. But it says that I still have one of my main transfers remaining. What's that all about?

Obviously I'm not going to make a fourth transfer as I'm not entitled to it and hopefully that would screw things up if a guy willing to cheat was given this opportunity. But I hope that at midnight I have all ten of the horses currently showing and not one uncompleted transfer. I've refreshed several times and things remain the same. Anyone any ideas? I've sent a contact us message but presumably won't get a reply until Monday.

Guesses welcome.

[wahine]

thanks Striker,

[wahine]

thanks Striker, Yanworths one of those always in the news and well in the markets but never seems to win the big ones, i will stay with Arry I think i trust his trainer more and i remember Supersundae impressively winning this time last year so thought about getting that in,

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Only three scorers in Fiso league this week
1 Ian Brown, 30
2 Dean Allen, 30
3 Paul Branigan, 20

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,551, 178th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,512, 254th
3 (3) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,500, 283rd
4 (5) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,497
5 (4) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,470

6 (6) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,323
7 (7) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,277
8 (8) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,225
9 (9) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 1,165
10 (10) Chris Beard, Walkley, 1,119

Overall leaders of 12,085
1 Dave Jones 1,782
2 Kevin Holland, 1,780
3 Gary Hackett, 1,776
4 Cat Joyce, 1,755
5 Jack Lawrence, 1,751
6 Darren Weafer, 1,747
7 Michael Doyle, 1,741
8 Reg Allen, 1,732
9 Steven Turner, 1,724
10 Mark Sweeting, 1,722

[Striker]

thanks Striker, Yanworths one of those always in the news and well in the markets but never seems to win the big ones, i will stay with Arry I think i trust his trainer more and i remember Supersundae impressiovely winning this time last year so thought about getting that in,

Well Yanworth did beat Supersundae in last year's Aintree Grade 1 3m hurdle and with Supersundae's stamina slightly suspect over 3 miles on soft ground, the likely ground condition at Cheltenham may see him beaten up the hill. I hope so anyway, as Yanworth is a key horse for me in a Ten to Follow.

[SamD]

My unimaginative picks aim to cover all seven bonus races at The Festival.

Tues, Arkle Chase: Footpad, 11/8 fav
Tues, Champion Hurdle: Buveur D'Air, 8/15 fav (Stable Star); Faugheen, 13/2

Wed, RSA Chase: Presenting Percy, 5/2 fav; Monalee 7/2
Wed, Qn Mother Chase: Altior, 8/11 fav; Min 11/4

Thur, Ryanair Chase: Un De Sceaux, 11/8 fav
Thur, Stayers Hurdle: Sam Spinner, 5/1 fav; Apple's Jade 6/1 (also 8/13 fav in Mares Hurdle, Tues)

Fri, Gold Cup Chase: Native River, 5/1; Our Duke 8/1 (2nd & 3rd fav)

Good luck and happy viewing to those with an interest...

The Telegraph Fantasy Cheltenham game has also been launched:
https://fantasyracing.telegraph.co.uk/cheltenham/

Fiso 2018 mini-league/thread: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=124002&start=30

[Striker]

Your team (and everyone else's) shows the futility of this game. The rules ensure that everyone's teams are incredibly similar to each other. I've compared my team with several others and generally we have 8 or 9 horses the same. This is downright silly. Also I haven't yet seen a team where the Star isn't given to one or other of Henderson's two hotpots. All very sensible choices by the punters but stupid rules which equate a 4/6 winner with a 50/1 winner. They have a list of hundreds of horses but in the critical week of the comp a list of around 20 would have sufficed.

Bit like a fantasy football game where all players are the same value, reducing it to a 3 or 4 man FF comp.

[johngooch]

Your team (and everyone else's) shows the futility of this game. The rules ensure that everyone's teams are incredibly similar to each other. I've compared my team with several others and generally we have 8 or 9 horses the same. This is downright silly. Also I haven't yet seen a team where the Star isn't given to one or other of Henderson's two hotpots. All very sensible choices by the punters but stupid rules which equate a 4/6 winner with a 50/1 winner. They have a list of hundreds of horses but in the critical week of the comp a list of around 20 would have sufficed.

Bit like a fantasy football game where all players are the same value, reducing it to a 3 or 4 man FF comp.

Your post Striker is spot on and sadly my hope at the start of the competiton once again ends in disappointment. The chance to make up ground if behind is nearly impossibe.

I do think that some kind of extra points for Starting Price is essential and I still feel that some of the Bonus Races are far to easy. There may be reasons for this, the way National Hunt racing is changing for example is one. However more big race Handicaps should be part of the list. This week for example at Cheltenham all Bonus Races are Championship events.

I have tried to make my views known to Attheraces but without any success. As someone who always entered the old Racing Post/Tote Ten To Follow competition for more years than I care to remember both Flat and National Hunt I would like to see a Stable Stars for the Flat but this is a remote chance I suspect.

If anyone as any more views and can suggest how to bring about some change please enter a post.

Many Thanks
John Gooch

[SamD]

* Stable Stars: transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Nine Fiso stables amass 300+ during Cheltenham week. Lead quintet:
1 Paul Branigan, 425
2 David Browne, 410
3 Karl Zammit-haber, 380
4 Ian Brown, 380
5 Sam David, 375

Fiso Federation top ten of 15
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,976, 111th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,922, 182nd
3 (4) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,877
4 (3) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,835
5 (5) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,825

6 (6) Karl Zammit-Haber, Home Straight Heroes, 1,703
7 (8) Sam David, Forever Changes, 1,600
8 (7) Ashley Bloodworth, Eli Jack, 1,577
9 (9) John Gooch, Jumping Champions, 1,435
10 (-) Diana Walker, Bringbackthebiff, 1,410

Overall leaders of 12,165
1 (1) Dave Jones 2,217
2 (4) Cat Joyce, 2,165
3 (-) Roisin Doyle, 2,162
4 (3) Gary Hackett, 2,161

5 (5) Jack Lawrence, 2,151
6 (2) Kevin Holland, 2,140
7 (6) Darren Weafer, 2,132
8 (-) Robert Lynch, 2,130

[Striker]

Seems that this was a pretty good weekend to forget to do your transfers, as half of us seem to have done. In fact if something could beat this weekend's best potential star horse (why when there is a 25 pt penalty kick did so many try to solve the difficult puzzle of the Midlands Grand National notwithstanding that it was a bonus race), forgetting to do transfers will have been close to costless. Anyone got a small model of a horse which I could name Dinaria des Obeaux before I stick a pin in it?

P.S. Even luckier now that Limerick has also been called off.

[SamD]

* Transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Week 18, to Fri 23 March
Both bloggie and topspur amass(!) 20 points; everyone else is stuck on zero.

Fiso Federation top five of 15
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,996 points, 96th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,922, 188th
3 (3) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,877
4 (5) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,845
5 (4) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,835

[bloggie]

Just missed the 11pm second time in a month. Was off the pace anyhow.

[topspur]

Forgot

Looks a difficult week so hopefully not too costly

[Striker]

Most of the more popular selections lost today, so it seems likely to be another week when forgetting to do transfers is very low cost, or even completely cost free.

[harryhodge]

Regrettably, this will be my last week for making transfers in this competition. I will be out of the country until May, by which time the competition will have finished. I very much doubt that I will be in a position to make any further transfers, or nominate a 'star', so I fully expect to slide down the table quite a bit now.

I didn't want other players to think that I had just abandoned the competition before the end, as it would have been good to continue to challenge for the top spot in our league, until the final day.

I share other players thoughts though, that there is a lot that need to be done by ATR to improve this game. It is now far too predictable, and the top thousand players are all adopting virtually the same tactics - and we all know what these are! It is difficult to find any differential especially with the lack of Handicaps available as bonus races. Every Cheltenham race was a Grade 1, and of the remaining bonus races still to come, 8 of these are also Grade 1, with only 4 Handicaps. As long as the bonus races are so easy to predict, and odds-on selections count the same as a 33-1 selection, this game will never be particularly competetive. I contacted ATR and suggested three changes for this year's competition i.e. using mostly Handicaps for the bonus races; having a list of twenty Elite horses to select from; and making shorter priced horses score less than longer priced horses. Of course they didn't listen!

[johngooch]

Regrettably, this will be my last week for making transfers in this competition. I will be out of the country until May, by which time the competition will have finished. I very much doubt that I will be in a position to make any further transfers, or nominate a 'star', so I fully expect to slide down the table quite a bit now.

I didn't want other players to think that I had just abandoned the competition before the end, as it would have been good to continue to challenge for the top spot in our league, until the final day.

I share other players thoughts though, that there is a lot that need to be done by ATR to improve this game. It is now far too predictable, and the top thousand players are all adopting virtually the same tactics - and we all know what these are! It is difficult to find any differential especially with the lack of Handicaps available as bonus races. Every Cheltenham race was a Grade 1, and of the remaining bonus races still to come, 8 of these are also Grade 1, with only 4 Handicaps. As long as the bonus races are so easy to predict, and odds-on selections count the same as a 33-1 selection, this game will never be particularly competetive. I contacted ATR and suggested three changes for this year's competition i.e. using mostly Handicaps for the bonus races; having a list of twenty Elite horses to select from; and making shorter priced horses score less than longer priced horses. Of course they didn't listen!

I echo every word in your post and I rather think this is how an overwhelming number of other entries feel. I have also sent a number of e-mails to At The Races with the
same kind of views as yours and have never even had a reply from them.

[SamD]

* Transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Week 19, to Fri 30 March
Just four scorers this round:
David Browne & Sam David, 25 points; Ian Brown & Dean Allen, 10

Fiso Federation top five of 15:
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 1,996 points, 109th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 1,947, 174th
3 (3) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,877
5 (4) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,845
4 (5) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,845

Overall leader:
Dave Jones, Aidan O'Brien's mentor, 2,237

[SamD]

* Transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Week 20, to Fri 6 April
Dean Allen, 100
Ian Brown, Liam Mannion, Paul Branigan, David Browne, all on 90

Fiso Federation top five of 15:
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 2,086 points, 90th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 2,037, 139th
3 (3) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 1,977
4 (4) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 1,945
5 (5) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,935

Overall leader of 12,221:
Dave Jones, Aidan O'Brien's mentor, 2,327, is 27 points clear.

[SamD]

* Transfer deadline 11pm Fri *

Week 21, to Fri 13 April
Four with 100 this round: Karl Zammit-haber, Sam David, David Browne, John Pickering.
Three more on 75.

Fiso Federation top five of 15:
1 (1) Paul Branigan, Paxtons Punts, 2,161 points, 108th overall
2 (2) David Browne, Three Lengths Clear, 2,137, 136th
3 (4) Dean Allen, Yorkshire Dragon, 2,020
4 (3) Ian Brown, Allamoor, 2,002
5 (5) Liam Mannion, Bloggie, 1,960

Overall leaders of 12,247:
1 Mark Sweeting, 2,452
2 Cat Joyce, 2,450

[Striker]

Not the best week to forget the transfer deadline.

[wahine]

Regrettably, this will be my last week for making transfers in this competition. I will be out of the country until May, by which time the competition will have finished. I very much doubt that I will be in a position to make any further transfers, or nominate a 'star', so I fully expect to slide down the table quite a bit now.

I didn't want other players to think that I had just abandoned the competition before the end, as it would have been good to continue to challenge for the top spot in our league, until the final day.

I share other players thoughts though, that there is a lot that need to be done by ATR to improve this game. It is now far too predictable, and the top thousand players are all adopting virtually the same tactics - and we all know what these are! It is difficult to find any differential especially with the lack of Handicaps available as bonus races. Every Cheltenham race was a Grade 1, and of the remaining bonus races still to come, 8 of these are also Grade 1, with only 4 Handicaps. As long as the bonus races are so easy to predict, and odds-on selections count the same as a 33-1 selection, this game will never be particularly competetive. I contacted ATR and suggested three changes for this year's competition i.e. using mostly Handicaps for the bonus races; having a list of twenty Elite horses to select from; and making shorter priced horses score less than longer priced horses. Of course they didn't listen!

I echo every word in your post and I rather think this is how an overwhelming number of other entries feel. I have also sent a number of e-mails to At The Races with the
same kind of views as yours and have never even had a reply from them.

why would they care what players think, the whole purpose is to draw punters to their website and betting site hopefully to have a bet.

they wouldnt care how the fantasy game goes unless they had 1,000,000 punters playing,