Here today to meet Pete from Blushing Meadows. Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions and chat with the SRF. It’s nice to meet up instead of using Skype to chat. There is not many British trainers in our game and it’s good to get a rounded feel from the other side of the pond.
Q1 Where does the name Blushing Meadows come from?
A1 I was watching the US open tennis and the name had a nice ring to it, alas having named the stable a few weeks later I found out the US open is played at Flushing Meadows not Blushing.
Q2 Ok you are Ex Digiturf an Raceclubs King. I remember you giving me Banshee Banzai 20 years ago randomly to help my new stable! We go back a long time and you even more in the virtual sim community. You were involved in a lot of controversy back then if I remember correctly. Ever found any loopholes at HRP ?
A2 Controversy, yep that’s one way of putting it, Digi hated it from day one. I was paid a lot of money to play there at the time (it was never enough) if truth be known that generation from that time should be thanking me every minute of the day for what I did for them, alas what I did will never come to pass.
Race club Jesus Loopholes put it this way I got paid $500 a time just to speak on Sky when the racing was on yet I still got out of there as quick as my feet would take me and the reason was nothing more than a sentence from one of the owners when I asked a certain question. I tend not to live in the past so I had fun but you know what they say when the fun stops “STOP”. At HRP sadly no loopholes…
Q3 What’s your advice to newer players please Pete reading this. Any tips welcome.
A3 No such thing as a free lunch, HRP you don’t get something for nothing either it be from players or HRP itself. The best advice break down the game in sections and study hard believe it or not that can be rewarding in itself. Set a budget stick with it, you can line other player’s pockets by investing 5K in breeding and get nothing you can breed one horse and get a champ other words money is not a guarantee for success knowledge is.
Auto gene is a dead civilization don’t waste the time or the dough.
Q4 Agreed re Auto-genes. Great building blocks to start but compared to our home breeds they are usually a lot poorer in my mind. What’s been your best moment at HRP? And what has been your lowest?
A4 Best finding the game, Lowest will be leaving it. Some will say breeding and training the only filly ever to win a TC race something millions invested by greatest players on here have failed to do or breeding and training a classic winner and winning the biggest prize in the game, alas it came at a cost once you hit top there is only one way to go and that’s down lol.
Q5 Forums. Over the years I have seen you ban yourself from posting more than Support team have. What have you learnt posting on virtual Horse forums the last 2 decades? Any regrets?
A5 Without a doubt the worse part of the game, I left my grandson 30 horses and 500 bucks in the stable to have some fun with one rule, no posting on the forum the day he does I’ll shoot every horse in the stable and put him in the Army. Yes it was fun at times and great when you had a discussion about racing or exchanging views about breeding sad to say such forum discussions are as rare as a Maxmillion Farm Breeders cup winner lol. It turns players (including myself) into people that does not even come close to how they are in real life. Biggest regret trying to point out the obvious to those who use it as a tool the highlight was my last post.
Q6 In your opinion who is the best player of all time at HRP?
A6 When asked this question in the past I always used to say “anyone who still plays this game 12 months after joining”. Shotgun Mike as won what 31/2 million in prize money over at Race club yet would not make my top 10 players of all time when it comes to virtual horse racing overall plus Digi and Race club in today’s environment is more about number generated results rather than skill. On here it’s the most important factor you can have the best horse on here you don’t have a clue about the skill part its nothing more than a $10 claimer as history very Cleary tells you. Great players over the years have played on here and at the time ticked the box as the best around in today’s game the new generation of players like Estero, Smokey along with long serving established players like Maxmillion Farm who is ultra-consistent deserve special mention, alas my number one fan Mb takes the accolade purely because many have tried everything to change the game and handicap him but still he is so dominant and rarely gets it wrong when he does he comes back even stronger. Just a shame he’s not a little more transparent when it comes to how he got where he did but best player it’s not even a competition.
Q7 Best breeder in your opinion?
A7 I will keep it short and sweet, in real life you can back track through the best bloodlines in the world and it leads to one horse “Eclipse” on here it’s a trainer “Night Mare Racing.
I often wonder in the virtual world if MB married Michelle how good would there first born be when it came to playing this game.
Q8 Up and coming stable and one to watch out for?
A8 Any stable that’s still active after 12 months that does not belong to a bigger outfit; lol, being serious for a second, in today’s game with a small group of players dominating all aspects of the game it’s tough to find a stable that can be considered a dark horse. Although one or two look to tick that box it’s sad to say when they look to explode on the scene they sell up only to then fork out another fortune a few weeks later and begin again.
Q9 MB. Man is a legend in my humble opinion. What do you think about how he has risen in the game to dominate? Can he be stopped? Thought welcome.
A9 Stats don’t lie, I used to think it was always about bulk but I think it’s safe to say that was put to bed with the breeding limits. Raj who tends to take in laughing gas when posting reads about someone other than MB winning a graded race and the headlines would say “I knew the limits would work” Just looked at the 2019 stats only 50K ahead of the nearest challenger. The guy will never be surpassed, I always said the only danger to MB when it comes to this game is MB. Rule changes, race engine tweaks, breeding limits even increase in quality street racing (made for sharing) as not stopped his dominance, sometimes you have to accept the facts and embrace it.
The stats is one thing but for me the enthusiasm he still has when it comes to the game is as strong now as it was in season 1. Some say winning can get boring with me the first big winner was better than sex the last big winner meant nothing who is to say that MB won’t get up one day and say “enough is enough” but until that day comes enjoy that you play in a time where such a player exists.
Q10 The Triple Crown. Can it really be done?
A10 Yes by JGR in the next 5 seasons lol. Look there are two things that are certain on here MB being champion trainer and someone at some point will win the TC. You only have to look how many TC winners in real life to tell you on here the game is still in the infant stage and based on that it may still take a good few years before it is. The only problem is it will come at a massive cost for every 1 player that posts a hypercritical “well done” 10 behind the scenes will by angry to a point they leave such is the way of things in the world of virtual horse racing.
Q11 Any 2 year olds in your mind worth adding to the watch list you breed who you think may be exceptional?
A11 Would not know , the dozen I bred, put it this way the dogs wont starve this winter.
Q12 Heard you are training/ mentoring your young Grandson how to play the game so when he comes of age he can continue the family legacy. How is his understanding of the game going? Is he interested in horse’s real life? Curious and love to know more mate.
A12 When he was 10 he used to sit next to me whilst I trained horses and watched races I won’t tell you who he’s hero is but he’s favorite horse last season is MBs Relax . To be honest I just left 30 horses in the stable and 500 bucks told him where the rules where and said good luck. Chip of the old block he’s first ever winner was with Kray Kray Kray who won a stakes race although I am sure that’s the only winner he’s had. I bought him a pony last year which he looks after every Saturday, cleans out the stable brushes him down and gives him lots of love so yep I think horses are in he’s blood.
Q13 That sounds fun and I wish him every success. I believe you will make a great mentor for him Pete. HRP rocks. Nothing is perfect and I know Support work hard to improve the game constantly. With that in mind what aspect of the game do you think needs reviewing if it was down to you?
A13 I ask myself from time to time as the game got better from when I joined or worse? The answer I come up with is none of the above but different, different because it has had to adapt to players who play the game today. If I owned the game what would I do I would move with the times I would break the game down into two different games, US racing and rest of the world racing where you can intertwine both divisions with certain races throughout the year such as , Arc Melbourne cup English Derby so on and so forth. A broader spectrum with players from all around the world playing here at some point must be HRPS target for the game to thrive. At the moment like it or not it’s a US based game based on US racing and set up dominated by US players which nothing wrong with that but to move forward HRP need to move with the times.
Q14 Mentioned MB. What about Smokey Stover? He seems to be investing an boxing off the best broodmares in the game. What do you think about his rise also in the game? Do you think if anyone can halt MB it would be him?
14 Ummm Smokey I tend to think if you want to know how some play and what really goes on behind the scenes just pay attention to the private sales. Smoke I was once told he did not like me and he posted my achievements where down to luck lol. Well everyone is allowed an opinion and you can’t fault the effort he puts into the game. He’s good points he comes across today as a real nice fellow but nice guys win nothing and based on the evidence I seen so far instead of investing 50K In the game and charity donations he should triple it and pay someone to kidnap MB and locks him in the cellar for 20 years lol. Serious though how many top horses did Smoke give away for nothing when the game got to him (the game can do that) I was so happy that he is now fine and going for it but the way I see it and its only my opinion if the second best player to have played this game had 2 million to invest they would still not even get close to MB, so our Smokey has it all to do but I wish him well.Also how can i put this if you want to beat your competitor it might be a good idea not to subsidize that competitor in the first place lol.
Q15 Goals for 2020?
Q15 To see 2021
Q16 Didn’t know you could do short answers Pete J. Race instructions. Do you think they work ok at the moment?
A16 When it comes to instructions 95% don’t have a clue, 4% is a lucky guess and 1% are a genius when it comes to them, you have 2 guess’s who the 1% is but you’re only going to need one. Instructions represent the biggest skill factor on here in my opinion the evidence that backs that up is a horse can go from winning a Grade 1 one week and running last in a 10 buck claimer the next. You snooze you lose when it came to instructions I had a long long long sleep.
Q17 What would you miss the most of you leave HRP and do you see a full time return to the game at some point?
A17 I miss nothing hence that’s why I hung up my saddle, the game moved on i did not. 6 months ago when i was leaving someone cant remember who sent a nasty email saying i was leaving because i could no longer compete other words telling me something i already knew lol .Return full time?….never say never the first experience of virtual horse racing I spent 18 hrs a day watching barrier works, 6 months ago it took all my strength to log in. Hopefully one day ill check on my grandsons 2.y.os to see if he as a possible TC winner or a 3.y.o KYD winner and if he does tell him he’s been naughty and can’t play anymore.
Q18 What’s favorite horse in rl an at HRP of all time?
A18 Tough one but for me Mrs Bombastic purely because i bred her and trained her to make history. Great champions come and go but history makers are carved in peoples memory for life, even today with the money and the array of special talent when it comes to trainers what she did can not be matched. Fact it will happen at some point but the only filly to do it in what 4 years when someone does no one remembers who was second.
Q19 Breeding code at HRP. How close to RL you think it maps/ how accurate?
A19 Not even close a stallion with a pedigree full of champions walks into the sales ring in real life with a portfolio of whose who in his makeup priceless on here multi winning G1 horse a guarantee for failure. Go to real life key in top 10 stallions of all time then compare to them on here, take commanding out of the equation and you would be lucky the other top 9 would have won enough between them for a bargain bucket. I just think its tricky tomorrow real life although HRP try its all about trying to balance things out.
Q20 Worst mistake in game you made truthfully?
A20 Taking my eye of the ball so when the train of change left the station i was still in the bar getting p****d lol.
I would like to add Kev HRP is the best out of all the games i played and by someway i just think the success of todays environment has meant the game as suffered. One day a new one will come along with a international flavor were i for see the first million dollar purse race will be implemented but most of us might be nothing but a distant memory when it does but it will come. I wish everyone well and remember its just a game and your only as good as the competition you beat.
Thanks Pete for your time today. Any last words?
I would like to wish all players, the SRF team and yourself Kevo a Happy new year…
Cheers Pete best of luck this season! I am back in the game and have lined up some exciting interviews. So as always thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Kevo
Categories: FEATURED STORIES, SRF Interviews
