Newturf Legends – An Interview With TFK

It was with great pleasure that I got a chance to sit down with legendary Newturf trainer Tfk782 and get his thoughts on a few subjects. Our mutual friend Mr Babelfish joined us to help out with the translating duties.

O.R. “Tfk, thank you so much for taking time out of your hectic schedule to do this interview with Horseracingbuzz. Ok, my first question is when did you first join Newturf?”

Tfk “I first joined Newturf 3 years ago when it was then called ZErace.”

O.R. “What or whom do you credit with helping you learn the basics of the game?”

Tfk “My clan (team). It is crucial to join a clan to help develop your player abilities as well as learning the secrets to playing this game. Veteran clan members are very receptive to inquiries from new players.”

O.R. “I concur as I have had many veteran players such as yourself offer their advice and help to me, even though we are on different teams. Ok, my next question is what does it take to be a premier trainer at Newturf?”

Tfk “It took me a full year to really grasp the intricacies of training, as it is probably one of the hardest part of the game to learn. I sacrificed dozens of good horses learning how to get to where I am now. I admit it took me a lot of time and money to find the success and have other owners trust me with their horses now.”

O.R. “You train an incredible amount of horses (2383 at the moment) and never miss a day’s training. How do you find the time to do all this?”

Tfk ” I built a software allowing me to include all my training modules (about 900 total) that I use to train all these horses. Since October 1st, Newturf has made available to us (trainers) software that allows us to train horses (provided it has the modules) in a pre-recorded career. This way everything is automated. It allows me to program modules planning the careers of each horse:

For example:
1-1-1 (Module A)
1-2-1 (Module B)
2-2-1 (Module C)
2-2-2 (Module D)
2-3-1 (Module E)
2-3-2 (Module F)
etc. …… until arriving at 10-10-10.
This is an example of career training for a long distance, late developing horse. There are several career training options:
=- LATE long distances
=- LATE Sprint
=- EARLY long distance
=- EARLY Sprint
=- Focus Speed
=- Focus Resistance
=- Focus Flexibility
=- ….. Etc.”

O.R. “Fascinating stuff. How long would you say it took you to reach your prime as a trainer?”

Tfk “I hit my best stride as an overall player after 2 years.”

O.R. “Wow, definitely not an overnight learning experience. Ok, to switch pace a bit, what is your opinion on the game opening up to an international market after being an exclusively French game?”

Tfk “Like most players I am 100% for an international marketing of this game. To my knowledge it’s the only game with a Euro based purse distribution. The more we are, the more we will have the opportunity as a community to make the game grow. The benefits for all will be significant.”

Newturf.comO.R. “Well said and I couldn’t agree more. Now, are then any changes or additions you would like made to the game in the near future?”

Tfk “There are still ways that the game can be improved upon. Newturf is the only game I know of that gives the players the opportunity to express themselves through a forum and help developers improve this wonderful simulation game. Newturf always listens to us and each evolution in the game is voted by a majority. It’s a good combination of simulation and real life racing. In Newturf pure random isn’t acceptable.”

O.R. “My last question to you Tfk is what advice would you give to new players at Newturf?”

Tfk “It is absolutely necessary to be part of a clan (team). You must first listen and learn. Newturf is a difficult game. This is not an arcade game, chance does not exist. Never forget that one of the keys to success is to discover the secret of breeding. It is not enough to breed two great horses to produce a ‘phenom’. It is also necessary to study carefully the genealogy. I recommend they initially buy horses “réclamers” (claimers) to get used to the horses and also learning to drive (the jockey aspect). Then, it is necessary to begin his breeding. The key is possession of excellent mares, which are expensive, but absolutely needed. Please seek out a few respected opinions before spending a lot of money. One of the adages of Newturf: it is better to buy a good expensive horse than owning 10 average horses of equal total value. Invest wisely, a stable is not built in a day. It should take about six months to see the first fruits of your labor.”

“What to look for in a horse? When buying a horse, the price is just one of the aspects to consider. You must first know what you want: a horse that peaks early, a horse that peaks later etc. Check the pedigree, as a mare may become a good broodmare if they meet the right criteria. Specifically:
* An early developer: he must be at least 333 to one year (until 15 days into the month, after 443), 655 by two years old (777 at end of month), 877 to three years old (999 at end of month) , 999 to four years, with 9 to 10 at all stats from five onwards.
* A horse that should be good later: check the squares of the parents, who must have a minimum and everything between them, two 10s and four 9s if we combine the two speeds, resistance and flexibility.
A mare may be a good broodmare: early, it must be born 333, late, she should have ended her career with at least one 10 and two 9s. Optionally, a 999 can become a decent mare as well.
A horse with specific criteria: a typical example is the horse that runs the 1000 meters. This one does not need strength. It must be nearing retirement, at least 10 Speed and 9 Stamina but preferably 10s.

How to choose (classify) your horse properly: Always place your horse keeping in mind the capabilities of the horse displayed. Example my trot horse has earnings of 3.40 euros. I enter in a race that’s open to non-winners of 5 Euros or less (or rather 4 if any). If there are none, I can create this race in the time slot at either 13-14 hours or 21-22 hours Newturf time, as that is when most of registrants race. Of course, one must first have considered the idf (shape index) of the horse. If it exceeds 5, it is clearly in top form. Please note, this amount can be idf green (on the rise) or red (on the decline). Other things to take into consideration.

Flat horses:a unique opportunity to race in graded categories. Unlike the above trotter example, you would place your horse in the corresponding category (ex: class B). Do not skip over class categories unless there is a severe lack of participants and you’re forced to move up.

How to run using the index form (IDF). (From the glossary of ZErace) literally means the IDF Health Index. This value quantifies the fitness of the horse over a period of time. The owner or trainer has no influence on the evolution of the IDF of their horses. Each increase or decrease is initiated randomly. A trend is valid for 72 hours minimum.

The magnitude of increase or decrease within the same trend is random. The IDF of a horse is clickable and opens the historical graph of the horse. In practice, do not hesitate to look at the slope of the curve and try to estimate the value of the idf X hours later, according to this curve, and whether the race takes place after X hours. This is useful for estimating riding the horse (jockey function) as well as placement for important races.

Breeding tips: Once we know how to select a good broodmare, it is wise to choose an appropriate stud. An early developing stud for an early developing mare, a late developing stud for a late developing mare etc..
Avoid blunders. Matching a late 2 speed/2 stamina mare with a early developing (3/3) stud is a waste of money and time. Beyond that, are you stabling flat, trotting, hurdlers, or all? Do you choose early developers, or late? Breedings should not be made at random. You must have a strategy in mind!

In closing, keep in mind that breeding is the best long term strategy to have. You will probably have to go outside your barn to find good breeding stock at first, but your goal should be to have everything you need internally.

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