Get the Horse Racing Manager 2 demo off WP (280mb)

This version features :

• A gallop race
• A trot race
• Two French race tracks
• Night & day race with variable weather
• Two types of grounds

Have fun !

Use the 3 button to get the horse underway. In races where there is a fence the same button changes into a "jump" button. If you click too early or too late the horse is likely to have a bad jump and risk a fall.

Use the mouse wheel to zoom/unzoom at all times during a race.

The race interface allows you to manage the horse's effort level and direction. It is possible to get the horse to run faster or slower by using the "Up" and "Down" arrow keys. The "Right" and "Left" arrow keys give control over lateral movement.
NB : A horse that is blocked on the rails with horses in front and to the side will not react to the arrow keys as it is not possible to pass through an opponent. You'll have to wait until a gap opens up.

The faster a horse runs, the quicker it will tire, but it is possible to position it so as to use less energy. The main thing is to avoid exposing the horse to too much wind. The easiest way is to protect it by staying in the slipstream of a preceding horse. However, should it be necessary to expose the horse, you should keep an eye on the wind gauge 2. The more the gauge fills, the more the horse is exposed and the quicker he tires. You should also keep an eye on the effort bar 1 which shows the current energy expenditure of the horse. Staying too long in the red is not recommended.

The jockey must therefore bare three things in mind during a race (summed up in the circle at the bottom right of the screen) 6. Firstly, the wind; secondly keeping side-to-side movements, that needlessly tire the horse, to a minimum and, finally, to keep an eye on the horse's effort level so as to optimise energy consumption. Place the ball within the circle depending on which vector you wish to favour. Placing the ball at the centre will provide a balance of all three.
By moving it to the outer rim at the top of the circle, you will favour position vis-à-vis the wind for a horse that is out in front, for example whereas a horse that is about to overtake will benefit from optimised lateral movement. You must be quick to react as the race situation evolves.

The jockey has a key role in keeping an eye on opponents. If you click on the "eye" button 5 at the base of the screen and then on a given horse, the horse's name and energy level will be displayed. The more clear-sighted your jockey, the quicker this information will be displayed.

To elicit a sharp acceleration from your horse you can make use of the whip, by clicking on the "Whip" button 4. However, there are limitations on the amount of times that the horse can be whipped.

Various pieces of information are displayed on-screen at all times during a race.

Horse Racing Manager 2, developed by Cyanide, is slated for release on the PC in Fall 2006.