GRAND NATIONAL
 
PUBLISHER
Elite

YEAR
1984

Elite's Grand National is a computer game that combines strategy and arcade
action to reproduce all the excitement of the World's most famous horse race.

GAME FEATURES

1. Choice of a single ride or racing career.
2. Optional Betting on the race result.
3. Choice of mount.
4. Race Report Sheet.
5. Variable Race Conditions.
6. Form Guide.
7. Intelligent Automatic Bookmaker.
8. 40 Unique Horses, with own characteristics.
9. Special Real Time Race Monitor.
10. Panoramic view of Race.
11. Running, Camera view of Race.
12, Up to 40 other competing horses.
13. Energy Level Bargraph.
14. Speed Level Bargraph.
15. Course Map and Tracking Dot.
16. Large Digital Race Clock.
17. Fence Number Indicator.
18. Leading Horse Number.
19. Horse Position Number.
20. Number of Horses Fallen Indicator.
21. Number of Horses Retired Indicator.
22. Number of Horses Running Indicator.
23 Stewards Enquiry System.
24. Detailed Final Report Section.
25. Prize Money.
26. Realistic Horse Control.
27. Realistic Horse Animation.
28. Detailed Scrolling Graphics from two angles.
29. Disqualification.
30. Fines.
31. Non-Runners.
32. Arcade Strategy Combination.

INTRODUCTION
The Grand National course is regarded as the toughest race course in the world.
Those who ride it risk injury or death jumping fences such as the chair, a
notorious fence nearly four feet wide and rive feet high, fronted by a six foot
ditch. It isn't surprising that this fence has been responsible for many
injuries over the years.
It is your job as the jockey not only to conquer the course through knowing your
horse, but also to make the choice of horse that you will ride in the race. The
whole game can be won or lost on this decision alone. The game combines these
factors to produce a combination of strategy and skill, with all the excitement
of the Grand National on your screen. Running a number of nationals can build up
a career record, and a final award is given to the top riders. Now take the
reins on your 48K ZX Spectrum and gallop your way into the record books!

THE GRAND NATIONAL
The Grand National is the ultimate race of the National Hunt season. It is run,
and always has been run, at the Aintree Race course near Liverpool. The full
Aintree course involves sixteen fences, and all but the last two of these are
covered for a second time round, making a total of thirty fences to be jumped.
The National has a maximum entry list of forty horses but some horses pull out
before race day due to injury or ill-health of either the horse or the key. The
riders range from amateurs fulfilling a life-long dream, to the professional
jockeys who ride with one intention, to win! The National lasts about ten
minutes, but in our game the clock runs faster to shorten the game time.

HORSE RACING
This section gives some general information about racing which is useful to know
when playing the game. Those of you who are racing addicts will know much of the
information below already. All horses, except those who have not run any races,
have a form rating In the Grand National, a horse must have won a race with a
value of one thousand pounds in the last year to qualify, so as far as we are
concerned, all our horses have a form value. Form is normally listed as a series
of letters and numbers indicating a horse's recent success or failure. In our it
game, form is simplified to a zero to ten rating.
Another important factor in any form of horse racing are the ground conditions.
These range fret' Very Soft' where the ground is very muddy and slow to run on,
to 'Firm' where the round is quite solid. The best 'Going' is 'Good' where the
horses can get a sure footing. Some have a preference, running well on good
ground, while others can run consistently when going is soft. At the end of
these instructions is a Form Guide, and for each horse, it shows the preferred
ground.
The final thing you will need to know about horses are their running styles.
Each horse might have a different style and stamina when racing. Some horses may
be good finishers for instance, while others may be good all rounders. It will
be the above factors you will have to consider when choosing your horse.

BETTING
In this game the betting is kept to 'On the nose' bets. That is a bet a horse to
win. So if the horse wins so do you! To keep payouts simple, we have kept to
simple odds such as S-1 and 10-1 and not used any of the nasty ones such as 13-2
or 100-30. A second Point to remember is that we have decided to include the tax
deduction. If you place a bet, most bookmakers will deduct 10% betting tax. So
if you bet ten pounds it will be reduced to a nine pound bet So bringing all
this together, if you bet say Ten pounds on a horse that wins at 10-1. First is
reduced to nine pounds, you will then win 10x9-90 pounds, plus you will be
refunded original stake (nine pounds).
The bookmakers set odds according to a number of factors. In the first instance
they will set the odds in relation to how well they think a horse is going to
do. For instance, a horse that has odds of 2-1 is more likely (in their opinion)
to do better than a horse with odds of 10-1. Another factor that affects the
odds, and often in a bigger way than the horses' read ability, is the amount of
money actually backing a horse. If for instance a horse at 20-1 suddenly gets
backed with Large sums of money its odds will shorten to say 10-1.
So all in all, the odds are a fair indicator of how well a horse will do but
don't rely on them.

GETTING STARTED
As you pick up the various stages of the game you wilt probably want to refer
in detail to the information that is included here. The game itself is quite
helpful, so with a little thought, you won't want to read everything below
immediately. And always remember If at first you don't succeed, try plugging it
in/tuning it on/reading the instructions!

LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Connect your tape recorder and leads to the ZX Spectrum, insert Grand
   National Tape, and ensure it is rewound.
2. Type 'LOAD', then press the Enter key.
3. Press play on the tape recorder.

GAME PLAY
The game is split into three parts. The first is the Race Report in which you
plan your strategy and place your bets. Second is The Actual Race where arcade
skills are the key success, and lastly comes the Final report which gives all
the final results and information.

PART 1, THE RACE REPORT
This is the first stage of the game, it requires the rider to consider all the
information available and then choose the horse on which he/she wishes to ride.
All the variable factors are displayed on the race report section, but only ten
horses can be displayed at one time. Here are the controls.

N to See other horses: Pressing N allows you to view the next set of horses and
their data in the bottom window.

F for Form: Pressing F displays the horses' recent form as a value between zero
and ten. All things being equal, a horse with a higher form rating will have the
best chance.

B to Bet: Up to five bets may be placed on the horses actually running in the
race Non runners will show 'NR' where the odds are normally displayed. Initially
the rider has one thousand pounds available to bet with. More can be accumulated
by winning the race and collecting prize money, or by backing a winner in the
betting stage!
When B is pressed any bets that you have already placed will be displayed on
the screen. If five bets have been placed you will not be able to place any
further bets, otherwise you will be prompted to enter the number of the horse on
which you want to place the bet, followed by the amount you wish to gamble. The
10% tax is deducted before the amount is displayed. The betting part of the game
is optional, and if you do not wish to place any bets then there is no
requirement to do so. When you wish to return to displaying the other data press
'F'.

C Choose your horse: Once you have assessed all the information available you
must decide upon which horse you wish to ride. You are not allowed to freely
pick any horse listed. Your stable has given you the option of riding ten horses
of the forty listed. The horses you are allowed to ride are shown with inverse
numbers. Some of them may be non-runners, so you can only choose a running
horse. Here are a few suggestions when making your choice.
1. Choose a horse that is suited to the ground conditions.
2. Think of the odds as a rough guide to the horses' ability.
3. Take account of the horses' recent form.
Once you have selected your horse, press any key to start the race proper. If
you prefer to use a joystick then either move the joystick, or press the fire
button instead.

PART 2, THE ACTUAL RACE
The main race is run on a special screen that allows the rider to monitor
his/her horse both from overhead view, and also from the side. Other horses
nearby on the track are displayed as well on the overhead view. On screen also,
are the various indicators and information about the current state of the race.
The rider controls the horse by steering the reins left and right, cracking the
whip to increase the speed, and jumping the fences. 

KEYS:

Z - Left
X - Right
0 - Whip
P - jump

JOYSTICK:
Left and Right operate their logical directions, pushing up cracks the whip, and
the Fire button is used to Jump.

RACE MONITORS
Bargraph Energy Level Indicator Horse Position No. 
Bargraph Speed Level Indicator  Leading Horse No. 
Large Digital Race Clock        No. of Horses Fallen Indicator 
Fence No. Indicator             No. of Horses Retired Indicator 
Course Map & Tracking Dot       No, of Horses Running Indicator 

HINTS
When riding your horse you must take into account its running style. So if your
horse is a good all rounder, you will be able to keep up a good pace all round
the track. On the other hand, If you have a strong finisher, then don't tire the
horse on the first lap! To make the best use of the energy, try and come as
close to using it all up as possible, but don't overshoot or your nag will
collapse!

STEWARDS ENQUIRY
While playing the race, the rider must not run into the other horses! Bumping
other horses is likely to cause a stewards enquiry. The result of which can
range tram a mere disqualification to a career bail So beware! At the end of the
race, any rulings, bans or fines will be made.

THE FINAL REPORT
At the end of the race a final report of the race is given. This gives the
results of the race, any gains made from harking a winning horse, and any prize
money gained by doing well in the race. Also listed are any points you have
accumulated by finishing the top 4 in the race and also the total number of
points gained during your career. Any disqualifications made during a stewards
enquiry will he shown as well.

PRIZE MONEY
Prize Money is awarded as follows:

1st: 40,000 + 10 pts
2nd: 14,000 + 7 pts
3rd: 7,000 + 5 pts
4th: 3,000 + 2 pts 

FORM GUIDE
The following is a list of horses and their details for running style and
preferred ground. Refer to this when choosing your horse.

No.     NAME                    STYLE                             GROUND
1       Greasepaint             Excellent All Rounder             Good
2       Artimorval              Good Finisher                     Good
3       Doorstop                Good Starter                      Good
4       Lucky Vane              Excellent All Rounder             Firm
5       Whistling Genatap       Consistent All Rounder            Good
6       Hallo Dandy             Excellent All Rounder             Soft
7       Corbiere                Good Starter, Excel. Finisher     Good
8       West Tip                Excel. Starter, Good Finisher     Good
9       Drumlargen              Good Starter, Excel, Finisher     Firm
10      Eyecatcher              Good Starter                      Soft
11      Fortina's Express       Excellent Finisher                Good
12      Duke of Milan           Excellent Starter                 Good
13      Broomy Bank             Excellent Finisher                Firm
14      Ballinacurra Lad        Good All Rounder                  Good
15      Pirate Son              Good Finisher                     Firm
16      Glen Fox                Bad Finisher                      Good
17      Kumbi                   Excel. Starter, Good Finisher     Firm	
18      Fox Bury                Good Starter, Bad Finisher        Good
19      Luck Daughter           Good Finisher                     Soft
20      Matty Buskins           Bad Starter, Excel. Finisher      Good
21      Fethard Friend          Excel. Starter, Good Finisher     Soft
22      Rubsti                  Bad Finisher                      Firm	
23      Rockin' Berry           Consistent All Rounder            Firm
24      Howarth Halloway        Good Starter. Bad Finisher        Firm
25      Classified              Good Starter. Excel. Finisher     Soft
26      Drum Largan             Bad Finisher                      Soft
27      Grand 0gan              Good Starter, Bad Finisher        Soft
28      Last Suspect            Bad All Round                     Firm
29      Talon                   Good All Rounder                  Firm
30      Good Crack              Excel. Starter, Bad Finisher      Good
31      Nicky Tam               Excel. Starter, Bad Finisher      Firm
32      Tacroy                  Good All Rounder                  Soft
33      Cockle Strand           Bad Starter, Excel. Finisher      Soft
34      Why Forget              Good Starter                      Firm
35      Max Friendly            Excel. Starter, Bad Finisher      Soft
36      Succeeded               Bad All Round                     Good
37      Road Mead               Consistent All Rounder            Soft
38      First Glance            Excellent Starter                 Firm
39      Derby Creek             Bad Starter, Excel. Finisher      Firm
40      Terry's Nag             Excellent Finisher                Soft

NOTE
Some of horses used may not actually run in the 1985, or any other Grand
National. At the time of writing, no lists were available, the final runners
being decided only a few weeks before Grand National Day.

Elite Systems
55 Bradford Street, Walsall, England. Telex: 335622 SPETEL G.



Typed by Mike Winn, Jan 2003.
