Barons

Hi mate, that's a bit better this week - always maintain we're better tipping a horse we fancy midweek, rather than taking our chances on competitive Saturdays. Two of our team of seven still didn't post though, I just noticed...

Cracking winner differentdrum

Next week we are taking a mid-term break from the main competition, instead teams will compete for the 2013 Team Tipster Cup.
The rules are similar to the usual but one important change is no duplicate selections within each match.

Cup Rules

Draw will be based on league positions at end of week 10 such that 1st will play 8th, 2nd will play 7th, 3rd will play 6th and 4th v 5th
Quarter Finals will take place in week 1
Semi Finals will take place in week 2 (Four losing teams get a couple of weeks off)
Final and 3rd Place Play-off will take place in week 3
Each week will begin on a Sunday and finish on a Saturday.
Each team will have 8 selections per week, one from each player, duplicate selections are NOT allowed within each match.
10pts win or 5pts EW on British, Irish, French (as long as an industry SP is returned) or UAE racing, selected any day, Sunday through Saturday, the week ends on the last Saturday race.
Settled at SP, EW terms as industry standard.
Selections must be posted at least one hour before race time. On Saturdays there will be a 4pm cut-off for selections, that is you may pick in any race after that but it has to be posted by 4pm (1hr rule still applies).
Once you have posted a selection you are not allowed to change it or the stake, unless it becomes a non-runner or is a duplicate.
Non Runners - that team member may choose again for that week.

Team captains will be responsible for managing any wildcards required, there are no restrictions on their use, but please try and share them around so that no one individual is always claiming them. Please also name who the wildcard is for when posting.

Teams will start the week from a baseline of 0pts. This equates to 8 losing selections and/or non-selections.
Subsequent scores will be added to this baseline plus return of the winning part of the stake (10pts for win and EW winner, 5pts for EW placed). All scores count.
The team scoring most points wins
In the event of a tie, the best single near-miss selection from each team will be assessed as follows:
Selections will be "bumped up" a place, so if a team had a win pick finish 2nd, it will become a winner and the extra points that would have been gained from that will come into play
EW 2nds, will become winners and only the extra win points will count, EW selections just outside the places will count for the place points
If this is still inconclusive I'll make a judgement call on best non-scoring performance from each team.

If its ok with the skipper? I'll use this weeks wild card as I have a winner lined up for tomorrow's racing for the team.

werbie, as much as I applaud your efforts to make sure Barons use all selections, I can't deal with long lists of ifs and maybes, one is ok, but here I would have to keep a constant eye out if other Barons turn up, bearing in mind the one hour rule, which do I assign to who, all gets a bit messy.

What I'm going to do is wait until 1nr before the first selection runs, any Barons that haven't turned up by then will have selections assigned from your list working top down, and they will stand even if the player subsequently selects.

Since volunteering I think I have put up a selection each week but after the last couple of weeks I am wondering whether it is worth bothering. On Saturady I think we had one person putting up five selections hence the comment above. It is a fun competition but surely we should be trying our best to win - it doesn't bother me in the slightest if we put up eight losers - at least we have made an effort.

Have to agree dd , the Barons are on there last legs and have been for a couple of years - no team spirit anymore 2-3 players taking turns not to post each week , not many appear that interested - its a mess !

Yes, other teams at least have proper discussion threads. It's the wild cards that's the real problem - how many, who is putting them up? The vast majority, if not all of my selections I have backed but I didn't really fancy anything yesterday. On Friday I put up a loser but also backed Party Rock. Had that been an additional wild card we could have been higher up the table, if not winning. Given everything it is surprising what the few have managed to salvage.

Have been full time on here for a few years now - time for a break - be lucky

sorry to see you go werbie, thanks for your efforts in posting regularly & making up wildcards.

differentdrum, I don't know what to say to you, I tried to get Barons up to strength when I recruited you but as werbie says there is unfortunately no team spirit.

If you and any remaining Barons wish to make the effort for the remaining 7 or 8 weeks of the competition then I'll try and help fill the team afresh.

It's not really any of my business but as the captain of one of the other teams can I echo what ud has said. It would be a shame if one team disappeared as 8 seems the right number. As somebody who posts ( too ) prolifically on HR I could probably help ud recruit for you but it would need an effort from some of the established team members as well. I'm sorry if anybody resents me sticking my oar in but I just think it's a great comp which ud puts an awful lot of effort into and it would be a pity if one team died of apathy.

As captain of the Barons I've had to do what werbie's done the past couple of weeks and make multiple selections on the Saturday many times over the past few years. I forgot to select the week before last (thought it was still the Cup for some reason) but that's probably the first time it's ever happened.

I'm happy to keep posting one selection a week if someone else wants to take up the captaincy. Fancy it, differentdrum?

Thanks for the offer! Now is not the time as it would be like taking over a ship that had nearly sunk. Maybe in the future if we can start afresh and get another seven people to commit to a selection a week/or some early notice that they are not going to be able to post a selection. I know people have different priorities but that doesn't sound like too much to ask.

I haven't been in the competition long but I can see how much effort undecided puts in to things. Sad to see werbie depart (nice farewell winner!) but as for myself I will continue to post for the remainder of the season. In the short term it would be nice to know on this thread as soon as possible how many wild cards we need each week. We can then post these up on here and Ricky can then decide which ones to go with?

For a fresh start next season, how about a name change too?

differentdrum/Whippin, we're a 6-man side at present so feel free to both post a wildcard each at any time during the week. Any wildcards still free I'll use on Saturday afternoons just before the deadline for making selections. I'll try and chase up cgull and razmos too - they seem to have gone missing.

Nice winners at the start and finish and a little bit in the middle - well done us! Three wins in five weeks is pretty good going by any standards. Fingers crossed we back it up next week.

Well done chaps. It would appear that rumours of the demise of the Barons have been exaggerated...

Onwards and upwards for us now fella's I'd like to use one of those wildcards this week if thats ok with you, Ricky.

Have gone with a shortie in the first at Market Rasen to try and get something on the board. Should win if the rain stays away.

Would like to go Wild Card on The Lark EW in the Oaks?

Fire away, fellas.

Well done to cgull on salvaging a decent winner. Bit of a costly mess on the wild cards again. If I had posted the Oaks selection we would have finished second. Then needing only a 'score' to move up the table we have gone wild card on a final outsider which wouldn't have got us first place even it had won?

No thanks to my two dismal efforts but another good week whatever happens but we could do with the favourite going off odds on in the last at Stratford.

Onwards and upwards for the Barons.

Due to myself backing lots of placed horses of late, I think it was a good decision to go E/W yesterday. But, I fancy one for the win today.

Well done on the winner Zipper. Good to have an early winner as it puts a bit of pressure on the others. No problem with the wild card but unless you have something that is nailed on it might be worth holding fire to see what we need towards the end of the week?

zipper, good call with the winner on Sunday! Feel free to use the wildcard whenever you like (we've got at least two, three if razmos doesn't show up (I've texted raz a reminder)) especially if you've got another winner up your sleeve!

yoo hoo ladies - i'm so sorry for my no shows - I am back - if wanted

Yay! Winner please razmolian!

Feel free to post a wildcard selection, fellow Barons. Cut off is 4pm so if no-one's posted by 3.30pm I'll take what's left. Anyone want to post a wildcard?

Nice work differentdrum and razmos!

Oil Strike - Carlisle 2.45

to win for the barons please,

thanks.

Don't remember missing any weeks - apologies if I did.  Still here anyway and done this week's.

Great call Whippin Piccadilly! Feel free to use a wildcard any time this week.

Again we are carrying a lead into the final day. Unfortunately, we only have the three shots left to fire so will need a bit of luck to hold on as chances are one or two big price winners will be found. Probably best to hold fire and play the wild cards as late as possible when we will have a better idea of what we need. I won't be suggesting anything for the wild card as I think it's another very tricky day. Fingers crossed we can get another top three finish.

Can I suggest Blue Surf (e/w) in the 5.00 @ Ascot if we need a big priced one

Tried my best on this thread but once again we were a selection light. Will post my selection for the remaining few weeks but that will be me done.

A fine effort again fellas. We'll keep chipping away as we are and have to hope the Cleeve Hill Mob slip up at some stage.

Thanks, Ricky. That winner got my Royal Ascot off to a flying start and I had a very good one all things considered.

Differentdrum, that's a shame you've made this decision. I feel we have a good little team here and you're a valuable member of it. Even though we are messing up a little on the wildcards, we are still putting up a good show in the comp. I have a suggestion on the wildcards. How about we designate who gets to use them and to make it even more simple the same team members uses them both each week. So, that team member will be putting 3 selections up when its their turn. Is this a good idea?

If agreed? I think yourself or Zipper should use both wildcards this week. We can use this thread to sort out who's turn it is, each week.

Be lucky chaps!

good call Whippin' - i'll second that proposal - and i am as guilty as anyone of us for faling to post recently, but i'm back on line now - so come on barons

btw - i wish i could spell failing correctly

That's the spirit, Razmos. I feel if we all post our selections on a regular basis, we can be very competitive in this comp, very competitive indeed!

Zipper, has got the team off to a flyer this week. Well, done Sir! I feel Zipper deserves to use both wildcards this week and I hope that he accept to take them. Let's really try and turn the screw on the teams above us. GL with all the selections chaps.

Whippin re wild cards  if its Ok with our captain  Ricky
it would be a pleasure

Ricky well done on your 14/1 winner yesterday  if you had played that  in our comp for the Barons  it would have been game shot a match

Ricky it aint about any team slippin up... its  all about the Best
take a look at your team  and tell me there not the Best ...come on lads  put them points on the board  forget all this nonsense playing who goes were .. put up horses you have backed with hard cash

Fine for anyone to take wildcards, I only take them on a Sat afternoon when no-one else used them so fire away.

Cheers zipper, not been paying much attention to the divisions for a while so nice to get a winner and hopefully promotion!

I think nothing less then wins in the final 2 rounds is needed for us to have any chance of winning the title. We also have to hope those above us have at least one shocking week. I'd price it up at 4/6 Mob, 7/4 Pins and us at 25s So, we have it all to do. Well done Zipper & Cgull for the winners and Ramos for picking up some place points last week. I hope Cgull will take this weeks 2 wildcards. Good luck chaps.

Cay Dancer - Newb 6.50

Any volunteers to take the wildcards today?

I'll take one Ricky and I think Zipper wants one. So, unless you'd want to use one? Me and Zips will take them. I'll be looking for big priced selections as we need to throw caution to the wind. GL chaps

I'm going for 2 big priced selections today, chaps. Banoffee lost her race before she even went in the stalls last time. And Angel Gabriel who was too keen in a slowly run race last time out. That won't happen here with about 10 front runners in the race!

I'd be happy with Zipper's selection first and mine second in the Old Newton Cup. GL team.

That's fine WP, come on the Barons!!

Oi Oi Zipper! Well done fella!

Nice one Ricky with your winner! Differentdrum's selection to come too.

Whippin  We The Barons  can win this comp .. ok next week is round 20 last round .. come out fighting lads its  gloves off time
ask your girl / wife.. she will say  GO FOR IT

Ok guys round 20  the mag 7  we need  7 winners .. nothing under 5/1
each way is for chickens .. its on the nose
come on guys i know your the best.. lets show em

Oi oi! Great call zipper!

Is it me, or is this getting rather exciting. Maybe I need to get out more? Whatever, I'll be shouting on Thomas Edison all the same.

Another good call zipper!

Captain  Ricky
Hi if theres a wild card left  zip got a beauty   about 12/1  its your call

Ricky the hot shot was Fields  Of Dreams  won 14/1 thats 2 points more than my forcast.. but hey ho  we have finished 2nd
zip was on win and place
this is a great comp .. but you cannot eat points it all about who banks the dosh
its over  very well done  to all involved
big cheers to  Decided Top man for putting up with us

Good man zipper, good call! Didn't see this until now and I was assuming you'd be taking the wildcard. Not to worry, we'll smash this comp next season. Hopefully we can persuade differentdrum to stay and get werbie back in the side (he's been known to take a break from the side in years gone by).