The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• The Object of The Game
• Preparation
• Money
• The Race Cards
• Before the 1st Race
• Horse Grades
• The Lane Cards
• Working Out The Odds
• Placing Your Bets
• Start of Play
• Moving the Horses
• Changing Lanes
• Corners
• Blocking
• General Points on Moving Horses
• Early Pace, Quicken Up and Finish Well Sections
• The Race Event Cards
  • a) Whipped Round
  • b) False Start (Recall)
  • c) Faller Cards
  • d) Slipped Up On The Flat
  • e) Remount Card
  • f) Horse Under Pressure Cards
  • g) Objection and Steward's Enquiry Cards
  • h) Photo Finish Card
• Finishing A Race
• Prize Money
• Winning Bets
• Pens

Contents

• 6 horses and jockeys
• Playing board
• 6 dice
• 6 race cards
• 6 lane cards
• 24 race event cards
• 1 bookies board and pen
• 1 pad of betting slips
• Paper money
• 6 pencils

The Object of The Game

The player that accrues most money at the end of the six-race meeting is the winner of the game. Money can be gained in two ways:

1. By a player's horse being placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the race, the relevant prize money is paid out to the race horse owners from the bank.
2. By placing a bet on the winning horse, these players are paid out the appropriate winnings from the bank.

Race your horse to win the prize money or bet on another . . . the choice is yours.

Preparation

One player acts as 'Bookmaker' who shuffles and deals out the correct number of race event cards.

• 2 players ............. 7 cards each
• 3 " ............. 6 " "
• 4 " ............. 5 " "
• 5 " ............. 4 " "
• 6 " ............. 3 " "

These cards should not be shown to the other players.

Money

The Bookmaker issues £20,000 to each player (including himself) from the bank 1 x £10,000 and 2 x £5,000 and a betting slip which is to be used for the entire meeting (6 races).

The Race Cards

These are shuffled and laid out, face up, one at a time to establish the order of the races. The cards can be stacked in a pile with the race in progress on top. These are now entered on the betting slip in the correct column.

Before the 1st Race

Each player now chooses his stable colours which he will race with throughout the entire meeting. These are represented by the corresponding colour of the jockey's silks (jersey).

Horse Grades

Now it is time to decide which horse to enter in each race. Each player has 6 horses graded 1-6 — one horse for each race. Horse no 1 is the fastest horse, no 6 the slowest. The grade of the horse is determined by its ability to double the number of lengths moved by landing on certain sections of the board: Early Pace, Quicken Up or Finish Well.

You may wish to enter your fastest horse in the race with the highest prize money, or enter it in a lesser race hoping for an easy victory.

Each player now discreetly writes their horse grade for each race in the stable entry column on the betting slip.

The Lane Cards

These are shuffled by the Bookmaker and dealt one to each player. This is done for each race.

Working Out The Odds

Each player in turn calls out to the Bookmaker the stable entry (horse grade) and the lane number for the first race which are marked up on the 'Bookies Board' alongside each player's silks colour. The odds are calculated by consulting the table at the bottom of the Bookies Board. The horses odds are then entered in the 'Odds' column.

Placing Your Bets

Now's the time to place your bets on Race 1. You can only place your bet on one horse, your own or another. Each player needs to consult the Bookies Board to consider the odds, stable entry and the starting lane of each horse in order to place bets wisely.

The colour you have selected to bet on is entered on your betting slip along with the odds and the amount of the wager.

Without showing what is written on your betting slip it is folded, placed on top of your colours in the betting ring along with the stake. All players can see how much other players have wagered but not on which horse.

Players do not have to place bets (especially if they have lost all their money) but they must race for the prize money.

Start of Play

Horses are placed on the lane numbers allocated at the start of the race. All races are 1.25 circuits. The player whose horse is in the inside (1) or nearest to inside lane starts play with the roll of the die. Play then continues in a clockwise direction.

Moving the Horses

Each square on the board represents one length. Each digit on the die represents one length. The number of digits on the die thrown is the number of lengths the horse moves forward.

Changing Lanes

You can move to outer lanes at any time as part of your move and as many lanes as you wish but not exceeding your die roll. Reasons for moving to outer lanes:

1. To avoid landing on a fence.
2. To land on a fence.
3. To move around a horse that has blocked your move forward.
4. If you are trying to lose the race because you have bet on another horse.

Only if you throw a 6 may you move to an inner lane but one lane only as part of your move. You can move to that inner lane at any time during your manoeuvre so in effect you move in 1 lane and forward 5 lengths.

Corners

When moving in or out on corners the forward-most connecting square must be used.

Blocking

If your forward moving square is blocked by another horse then you must move out as many lanes as is needed to get around the obstruction. Of course you can move in a lane if you throw a 6.

General Points on Moving Horses

Only one horse can occupy a square at any one time. There are no backward or diagonal moves. Horses cannot jump over other horses and you must move your horse the maximum number of lengths possible according to your die roll even if it means moving out lanes. Once a player lets go of the horse, the move is complete.

When a horse is more than 3 fences behind the leading horse then the owner of that horse may tail it off and quit the race.

Early Pace, Quicken Up and Finish Well Sections

This is where the grade of each player's horse comes into play. As shown on the board certain grades of horse can double their die roll by landing on these sections it can double its score and move the same number of lengths again. Lesser grade horses 'double up' on fewer sections. Grade 6 horse can only double up on the Finish Well section.

When a 6 is rolled you may move in one lane only. If you land on a section where you can double your score then you may not move in another lane on the 'double up' move.

The Early Pace section only applies to the first straight. It does not apply to the finishing straight.

You can only double up once on each section.

The Race Event Cards

These can only be used once during a race meeting and are given to the Bookmaker once used.

a) Whipped Round

Must be played before the horse leaves the starting line. On its first move the horse against which this card is played is simply turned to face the other way. On its second move the horse is turned around to face the right direction but no die roll is allowed. On its third move the horse can go forward.

b) False Start (Recall)

To be played in any race before any of the horses has reached Briars Brook. All horses must return to re-start the race. All bets still stand. Race Event Cards used are returned and any fallen horses also return to the start.

c) Faller Cards

If a player lands on a fence (or the water at Briars Brook) and a faller card is produced, then that horse is out of the race. If more than one horse is on that fence then the player who produces the faller card can nominate which horse(s) should 'fall'.

A player may 'fall' his own horse. Players who are out of a race can still produce a faller card at any time. You do not produce these cards until a horse has landed on the fence.

d) Slipped Up On The Flat

This card can be used anywhere but on the fences and on one horse only. This card can only be used by a player still in the race.

A remount card cannot be used against this card.

e) Remount Card

Can only be used immediately after a faller card by any player. The horse is then put back on the fence on the same square from which it was removed. A remounted horse can be subjected to another fall on the same fence if another card is produced.

f) Horse Under Pressure Cards

These can only be used in the final straight. They are produced before the player, to whom it is used against, rolls his die. That horse must then veer sideways in the direction stated on the card. The horse must move the maximum number of spaces sideways that are available in accordance with the die roll. It can then progress forward.

g) Objection and Steward's Enquiry Cards

These cards can be played by any player after all prize winning horses have entered the enclosure. When playing an 'objection' card the player must pay a £10,000 deposit. Without this card cannot be used. The player then nominates which horse they are objecting against (1st, 2nd or 3rd) and rolls two dice. Scoring a double means the objection has been sustained and the nominated horse has been disqualified from the race. Only the horses in the enclosure can move up positions. All unclaimed prize monies are collected by the eventual winner. The person who played the card gets the £10,000 deposit returned. If the objection is unsuccessful the player loses the deposit.

A 'steward's enquiry' card is played in exactly the same way except no deposit is required. Any number of objections/enquiries can be made after any race if the cards are available and you wish to play them.

h) Photo Finish Card

This card may be used against any of the first three horses. When a horse passes the finishing line the card can be used by any player but only on the very next person's horse whose turn it is to throw the die, and if that horse crosses the finish line then the placings of the 2 horses involved are reversed due to the Judge's error. If the horse does not cross the finish line, the card is still considered as used.

Finishing A Race

Once the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd horses are past the winning post and they take their appropriate places in the winner's enclosure the race is over. If only one horse is left in the race it must complete the course to win. It is possible to have no finishers in which case all bets are lost.

Prize Money

If 5 or 6 horses race then 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes are paid out.

If 3 or 4 horses race then 1st and 2nd prizes are paid out.

If 2 horses race then only 1st prize is paid out.

Any unclaimed prize money is paid to the winning horse owner i.e. in a 5 horse race if only 2 horses complete the course then the 3rd place prize money is paid to the winning race horse owner.

Winning Bets

The Bookmaker now settles any winning bets from the bank. These are only paid out on the horse placed first in the race. Winnings are calculated by multiplying the stake by the odds. All stakes on the winning horse are returned.

The first race is now over. The race card is placed at the bottom of the pack leaving the second race to be run.

Due to a great amount of luck, skill and odds should the number of bank notes run out then an i.o.u can be issued.

Pens

Only dry marker pens should be used for the bookie's board.