Owner mode
This mode is the core of the game, allowing players to build a horse racing empire from the ground up. Once stable location and colours have been decided, the player must get down to micro-managing his business, taking all financial and sports-related decisions. The stable owner is able to breed, train and race his own champions, with success on the track bringing benefits such as higher prices for horses sold by the stable. Howewer, horse racing is a business and financial management (covering, amongst other things, investment in new infrastructure, the hiring of staff, the buying and selling of horses, ....) is a key component. Failure in this domain can see the stable go to the wall.

Jockey mode
Jockeys are necessary in "owner/trainer" mode but their role is passive and their presence brief. In "jockey" mode, however, the player takes on the role of a jockey and he can build his character from the initial creation stage through a long and, hopefully, prestigious career. Other than his physical characteristics (height, weight, etc) a jockey has varying levels of clear-headedness (allows him to determine strengths and weaknesses of the opposition); experience (optimise relationship with his mount) and renown (determines the series of races in which he can take part and the horses that will be allocated). Success is measured in terms of races won as well as total winnings (rankings tables are updated in real-time). However, a combination of good horse and jockey is not a sure-fire guarantee of success. The two may not hit it off; the horse's fitness to race may be affected by transport or the race conditions (going, distance, terrain, ...) may not be to the horse's liking.