WRaceClubs.com is proud to announce the winners of the 31st Equus Awards for Virtual Horse Racing Excellence.

The virtual horseracing community has enjoyed a proud and noble history of horseracing on RaceClubs.com. It is a history that deserves to be recorded for future generations while honoring the great men and women who have contributed to RaceClubs.com’s reputation for continuously raising the bar in virtual horseracing excellence.

Raceclubs Equus Awards Aug – Dec 2011 (31st Season)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Juvenile Filly
Bomb Surprise (Nightmare Stable)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Juvenile Colt
Bogan Josh (Mac Hardy)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Crown Filly
Wakeful Sky (Sky Castle Stables)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Crown Colt
Papa Sangre (Divine Diva Stables)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Senior Filly
Lightning Malin (Burkveen Racing)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Senior Colt
Sir Sam Silver (Daztron)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Filly of the Season
Lightning Malin (Burkveen Racing)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Virtual Colt of the Season
Sir Sam Silver (Daztron)

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Most Outstanding Owner of the Season
Sky Castle Stables

The Raceclubs Equus Award for Most Accomplished Rookie of the Season 
Metal Mickey

Congratulations to the winners! 
The RaceClubs.com Team

Take a Swing in the Australian Open Virtual Horse Races

The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. It was held for the first time in 1905 and since 1972 it has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. The Australian Open was last contested on grass in 1987, before it was moved to its current location at Melbourne Park in 1988, becoming a hard court event. The tournament is held in Melbourne in the Australian summer, in the last fortnight of the month of January; an extreme-heat policy is put into play when temperatures reach dangerous levels.

The two main courts used in the tournament are Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena and feature retractable roofs, which are shut during rain or extreme heat. The Australian Open and Wimbledon are the only Grand Slam tournaments with indoor play. In 2008, the Rebound Ace surface, which had been in place for the past 20 years at Melbourne Park, was replaced by a cushioned, medium-paced, acrylic surface known as Plexicushion Prestige. Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the only players to win the Australian Open on both Rebound Ace and Plexicushion Prestige. The main benefits of the new surface are better consistency and less retention of heat because of a thinner top layer. This change was accompanied by changes in the surfaces of all lead-up tournaments to the Australian Open. The change was controversial because of the new surface's similarity to DecoTurf, the surface used by the US Open.

Like all other Grand Slam tournaments, there are men's and women's singles competitions; men's, women's, and mixed doubles; and junior's, wheelchair, exhibition, and legends' competitions. The Australian Open typically has very high attendance, with the 2010 Australian Open achieving the highest ever single-day day/night attendance record for any Grand Slam tournament of 77,043 and an overall attendance of 653,860.

If you’ve ever wanted to attend the Australian Open but didn’t want to leave the comfort of your armchair you will finally have the opportunity by entering any of the Australian Open races on RaceClubs.com. The Race Programmer has dedicated a day of racing on the 29th January 2012. All runners will be entered into a lucky draw, so take a swing in the Australian Open virtual horse races to win one of the following prizes:-

£38.40 G1 Winner! 
£16.00 G2 Winner! 
£9.60 G3 Winner!

(Prizes will be paid on Tuesday, 31 January 2011.)

Information: Wikipedia.com
Sponsorships: Raceclubs.com

The future of horse racing is online at RaceClubs.com
horses, racing, championships, sponsorships, entertainment 

Nightmare Stable on winning the Stayers Challenge Final Juvenile

I enjoyed winning my first challenge race very much, it’s the best feeling knowing that your persistency pays off, it was my most euphoric moment since joining RC
I was very optimistic I must say although there was the random factor to consider, so I was praying for a good one, I was not really worried about anyone as such I knew my "SURPRISE" would be somewhere abouts!

Well I don't really have any routine as such I just stick to training my horses the best way I can over various distances! The first person I shared my victory with was my darling wife, she was excited for me! Yes as I say before I don't have any special routine, I just follow whatever my mind tells me! My advice would just to hang in there and continue to persevere and you will overcome eventually any obstacles in your way to reach a landmark or objective!

I have had a lot of ups and down but finally I have landed my first challi win!!

There’s Virtual Magic in the Metro Races

It’s a gathering of the rich and famous, the groovers and movers, the fashion junkies and the thousands who seek to enjoy the intensity of life. It’s the running of the 35th J&B Met on January 28, 2012. It’s an event different to all others brought to you by a whisky that’s equally different. The race showcases 20 of South Africa’s top horses who compete for the R2.5 million stake over 2 000 meters.

And it is J&B’s unique heritage that has inspired the ‘Made different’ theme for this year’s J&B Met. With a history of challenging convention, from its bright yellow label and green bottle to its unique blend of 42 whiskies, J&B has always been made different.

The Kenilworth Racecourse will be transformed into a party zone as 50 000 groovers descend onto Cape Town from across this beautiful land to party the night away. Regarded as South Africa’s most prestigious horse race and Cape Town’s premier social event, the sponsorship is the largest Justerini & Brooks undertakes anywhere in the world.

If you’ve ever been to Cape Town you will know it is one of the world’s most magical cities. In celebration of the J&B MET and all things magical, the Race Programmer has dedicated a day of racing on RaceClubs.com. There’s virtual magic in the Metro races on 28th January 2012. All runners will be entered into a lucky draw to win one of the following prizes:-

£38.40 G1 Winner! 
£16.00 G2 Winner! 
£9.60 G3 Winner!

(Prizes will be paid on Tuesday, 31 January 2011.)

For high stakes runners, there are also the Magic Metro C Division Prive races on the day which carry £128.00 cash sponsorships each. £32.00 to enter more competitive races with a the highest cash payouts!

Magic Metro C Division Prive 4-7Y C - Gr1
Magic Metro C Division Prive 4-7Y F - Gr1

Information: Capetown.travel
Sponsorships: Raceclubs.com

Biography: Graham is a reporter for the Irish Independent newspaper and is based in London. He presented on the Raceclubs/Getminted horse racing TV show in Britain a number of years back and is the former sports editor of the Irish Post newspaper. Also he has been a broadcast and print journalist for the last decade working in the U.K., Australia and in his native Ireland. He presents a show on local BBC radio in the South East of England and claims to have Psychic powers. He once worked as a body double for Johnny Vegas and represented Slovakia in last year’s Eurovision song contest with the song “random factor blues”!

What’s another year as Johnny Logan might say!

Firstly apologies for the lengthy delay in announcing the most recent winner of the View from the stands bonus credits – elements outside my control I’m afraid. Anyway a much belated happy new year to you all, hope 2012 is a great one for you in every way. Now when I asked what your greatest ever New Year’s Eve was I honestly didn’t expect the high standard of replies which came flooding in. After almost a month of consideration (!)I’ve decided the £10 in bonus credits must go to the Pg Drive yard who once spent a New Year’s Eve in the presence of Elton John! He wrote “I was with a gang of teenagers pub crawling in Rickmansworth and Northwood when we ended up in this hotel type pub in Northwood hills. Everybody was having a good old sing song with the piano player, and there he was this puny kid with glasses called Reggie, you’ve probably guessed an eighteen old later to be called Elton John. He even captivated everybody’s attention then.” I did also enjoy the Link Up entry though, he wrote “My best New Year’s Eve was spent in Basingstoke hospital awaiting the arrival of my first born. We had a double celebration all round, a New year and a new baby son- what more can a bloke ask for?”

Bigboy Steve – I noticed!!!

Since clicking ‘I do’ when asked to join Raceclubs back on October 31st, 2005 Bigboysteve has always continued to take his vows seriously. And this week the game’s true gentleman amazingly registered his 5000th raceclub’s win. Ironically his biggest victory came with a horse called ‘Ibuprofen’ but on the track it’s his nags who cause headaches for rivals as they whizz by with the finishing line in sight. A sensational achievement Steve, delighted for you.

No ifs and ‘butts’ for the Oshtray yard

To be successful in this game you need to be decisive and clinical and the big ‘O’ stable has both traits in abundance. Known better as the Oshtray yard this week it chalked up its 500th win with 2-year-old colt Heartland café winning in Hong Kong on Friday to land the landmark victory. By his own admission the Oshtray stable owner said “Not a great amount of quality in my stable but it's been fun winning a lot of claimers and low division races. Still enjoying it!” – well Oshtray 500 wins is 500 wins – one hell of an achievement.

…And not forgetting Mappenors

And as we continue our tribute to stables who’ve chalked up a substantial number of wins lately we couldn’t let the week pass without tipping our hat to the Mappenors stable who, less than seven months after joining the game, made it win number 100 last week. On Thursday in Australia the Fosters flowed freely as the stable owner celebrated ‘I blame hot dogs’ exquisite win (all be it in a claimer). You posted Mappenors “Let’s hope the next 100 starts quickly tomorrow!!” – well sadly it didn’t but todays another day.

“I haven’t gone anywhere” says Sullivan!

The hopes of thousands of owners were dashed this morning when inept jockey Geraldine Sullivan confirmed she was here to stay on Raceclubs. Tracey from the October Madness yard had built everyone’s hopes up by posting “good news for all owners on rc it seems Geraldine Sullivan has left the jockey ranks on rc and has now been poached by Mr a McCabe and was last seen riding desert strike in the 3.10 at Kempton lol” – Sullivan reacted saying “I have not been poached, scrambled, boiled or fired and anyone who says I have now has egg on their face!”

Win £256.00 in the Hong Kong Classic WFA

Originally a Group 3 race with the name Hong Kong Classic Trial, the Hong Kong Classic Mile was the traditional lead-up race for the Hong Kong Derby. Now, this race is carrying a Group 1 status since the 1999-2000 Hong Kong horse racing season. This race is held at the Sha Tin racecourse.

From then on, this 1600-metre horse race has become one of the most important Hong Kong classic races. The Hong Kong Classic Mile is usually held during the day with the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby and it is open to four-year-old horses only.

In the past 5 years, trainers C. S. Shum and A. S. Cruz have dominated the competition achieved two wins and one third place finish each. During the same span, jockey Christophe Soumillon has landed one victory, one second place finish and one third place finish and jockey Douglas Whyte has one second place finish and two third-place finish.
The 2010 Hong Kong Classic Mile was won by Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Flash. The horse was brought to victory by Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon and he never looked gassed. He won the race three lengths in from of Chater Way which was ridden by Douglas Whyte coasting to the line with nearly three lengths to spare from Chater Way, ridden by champion jockey Douglas Whyte,

Craig Williams and Tuscan Spirit finished third, a half-length further back. Super Pistachio, Beauty Flash’s stable mate, came in fourth and the John Moore-trained Able Speed finished fifth. Beauty Flash is owned by Sa Sa cosmetic chain owner Mr. Kwok Siu-ming who invited Soumillon due to his experience with the big races.

Hong Kong Classic Mile Recent Winner’s List:
2009-2010 – Beauty Flash
2008-2009 - Thumbs Up
2007-2008 - Helene Mascot
2006-2007 - Floral Pegasus
2005-2006 - Sunny Sing
2004-2005 - Scintillation
2003-2004 - Tiber
2002-2003 - Self Flit
2001-2002 - Olympic Express
2000-2001 - Charming City

Which of your horses can win the Hong Kong Classic WFA on 25th, January, 2012?

Hong Kong Classic WFA C Gr 1
Hong Kong Classic WFA F Gr 1

The future of horse racing is online at RaceClubs.com
horses, racing, championships, sponsorships, entertainment 

Information: hongkonghorseracing.net
Sponsorships: Raceclubs.com

Juliussilas on winning the St Leger 

Winning the St. Ledger was so awesome for myself as my hometown in the UK is Doncaster where the St. Ledger is run each year.

I was very optimistic that Tytan would win the St. ledger as 3200 is Tytan best distance, as for his nearest rival I was still not worried.

As for routines I do the shower, shave and pour myself a large single malt whiskey to calm the nerves.
The first person I share my victory with is my very close friend martin who owns stable "dodgies".

Preparation for the challenge series, that’s a tough one. In my opinion I’m still a novice in the challenge series vie just been lucky to pull horses worthy of winning the challenge series finals. As for advice to other trainers I think they need to contact more experienced trainers than myself I really take them one day at a time.

As for changing what I do in the challenge series I try to adapt to each scenario as it arises.

When I win a challenge final I usually wake the neighbours with my cheering. The winnings usually go towards an auction purchase.

Take care!

By Juliussilas

The Top 100 Trainers of 2011 on RaceClubs.com

Following one of the most exciting years of virtual horse racing, we thought you'd be interested to see where you fit in among the top 100!

The Top 100 Best Trainers Of All Time will be sent out in tonight's Track tabloid. 

Congratulations to everyone who finished in the Top 100- and good luck for 2012!

The RaceClubs.com Team