Win, Place & Show is designed to be played with the six horses that come with the game. However, I want to have larger fields than that and so have dispensed with the Racing Program that list the six horses in each race. I have replaced them with record cards that have all the information needed.
To easily identify each horse I have come up with this system, the white chip matches the helmet colour and the green chip matches the silk colour. Each horse's running figures, class and bonus number is written on the card along with the name of the horse.
I have created a simple expansion for the board to allow for up to twelve horses, more if I double bank them, All ten horses lined up at the start.
Because this is a ten horse race, I have used a ten sided die, for a twelve horse race then a matching die would be used. For fields larger than twelve, this system would probably not work too well, as its random nature of which order the horses move would cause too much congestion. I plan to simply go in the order they are on the board, i.e. the leading horse would move first etc. The blue die shows the number of spaces in addition to the horses running strength number that each horse in the race receives. Both white and blue are added together for a total of six. That is the bonus number and any horse with that number would receive an extra three movement points. This bonus does not apply in Turn One.
Bella Beauty is in lane nine and so will go first. Her running strength for turn one is 9 + 5 from the blue die for a total of 14. Hence Bella Beauty can move 14 spaces. The horse in lane ten goes next, then back to lane one etc.
With a start speed of 13 plus the 5 from the blue die, King Robert in the white helmet and green silks was able to surge into the lead by three lengths from Exalted Angel (furthest from camera) and Shark. The rest of the pack all tightly packed together. The horses on the extension track must all move across to the circuit before they reach the first bend.
All the runners tightly packed, four of them are still on the extension track.
Once again lane nine is rolled and this time the total of 10, blue and white dice, give a bonus number of ten. Samovar was the only horse with 10 as its bonus number so will receive three extra spaces of movement this turn.
King Robert still leads as they enter the bend, two lengths clear of Exalted Angel. With its bonus number Samovar moves into joint third place with Shark. Only Go On is still on the extension track and must move inside next turn.
Lane two will move first, one extra space (blue die) for all horses and the bonus number is four. You get the picture.
The leader King Robert will move first this time, running strength of 9 on turn three plus 1 from the blue die.
Bella Beauty after moving first on each of the first two turns now gets the bonus of three extra spaces of movement for having the bonus number of 4.
As they take the bend, King Robert is a comfortable three lengths clear of Exalted Angel, who is two lengths clear of Shark.
King Robert about to enter the finishing straight.
Lane three, bonus 6 and all horses receive four extra movement spaces.
Exalted Angel will move first and also has the bonus number. Current leader King Robert, just above in Lane two will move last!
Disaster for King Robert, moving last he was blocked in and drops to 5th place five lengths behind the new leader Exalted Angel, Shark moves up to second, one length clear of fast improving Rasheeq and Six Strings.
Finishing line is in sight.
King Robert will go first, but can he make up the lost ground?
Arafi will benefit from the bonus this turn.
Rasheeq just manages to win by a nose from Exalted Angel. Arafi storms through the field to take third place by a head from Shark. The winning time was 1 minute 2.06 seconds.
Only ten lengths separate first from last, so very realistic I think.
The first test was a success, and proves the concept that extra horses can be added to the field, though King Robert who ended up coming home 7th might not agree.
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