RACING MANAGER (Virgin Games) by Mark Alexander * It's a new racing season and you have your eye on Derby Day, only 25 meetings away. Experience all the thrills of the race track. Manage a stable of ten horses, training and selecting the best runners for each race, looking carefully at the form, the going and distance. Buy and sell horses as your fortunes ebb and flow. Back your selection and then watch the race. If you can't bear the tension, you can just see the last furlong to discover if you've made the big time or are back on your uppers. A very realistic simulation of the race-horse scene, using the Spectrum, and your judgement, to the limit. * Instructions * If you have a printer, connect it before loading, as it is possible to build a useful "FORM BOOK". At the start of the game you are requested to enter a skill level. Choose carefully, as once embarked on your managerial career you cannot alter this. * Some of the factors used are: The TRAINER will affect the care your race horses receive. SPEED FACTOR, ie. between 0 and 20, represents the capability of the race horse. * Each horse has a potential DISTANCE. This distance is when the animal is at top speed. It is possible for a horse to sprint ahead and beat the fast finishers. * A horse may run badly if unfit, unsuited to distance or the GOING. Always consider these points when entering races. FORM is shown with the most recent result to the left; eg. SOBA 120/D3 ... SOBA won last time out and was disqualified last season. * You may SELL a horse after a meeting; you will then be offered various horses until you buy one. Note that the trainer's examination fee is charged if you refuse a horse. The game has a facility to enable you to SAVE it to allow you to continue your managerial career at a later date. * The MENU for the game is: K LIST HORSES R ENTER RACES C REPORT FINANCES F LIST FIXTURES T CHANGE TRAINER Q ALTER NAMES 9 SAVE GAME 8 LOAD GAME * Meeting number 25 is DERBY DAY; to qualify for the Derby a horse must have won more than #80,000 in prize money. Every 7th meeting is a winners day. Only horses who have won a race from their last six will be accepted. Every 9th meeting is a losers day. Only horses which have lost a race from their last six will be accepted. All meetings except the DERBY are expressed in speed factors. * Mark Alexander first became interested in computers in 1980 when much of his spare time was spent on the TRS-80 or in video arcades. * He developed an aptitude for playing games and after buying a ZX81 found that he could write them as well. As a boy he devised mazes for his mother to solve and now his problem setting ability has found scope in his games. * Mark was born in Swindon in 1959 but spent his childhood in Hereford where he now lives. He has written programs for British Steel and is currently designing software to create sound effects in dance clubs. He is also advising an adventure holiday company on equipment and software. * He is an adept pool player and represents his county in the sport. His other hobbies include chess, science fiction, piano, electronics and greyhound racing. (p) 1983 Virgin Games Ltd (c) 1983 Virgin Games Ltd