As the Borrowing Market opened last week, there was a frenzy of excitement while players new and old tried to get their hands on something spectacular to race for a few days. 

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Many stable owners and spectators have long dreamed about what it would be like to race a household name in ZED RUN, or the crème de la crème, a Z1 Nakamoto, and some lucky owners got to enjoy those very experiences in the first few days of Borrowing. 

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On the flip side, lenders got to enjoy others racing their racehorses and qualifying for tournaments, without grinding themselves. We spoke to some lucky borrowers and a major lender to reflect on the first week of Borrowing.

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Tales from Two Borrowers

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“I couldn’t believe I was able to borrow a Z1 Nakamoto Genesis so easily, with a few steps.” - Tommyn, Motor City Horsepower

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Tommyn from Motor City Horsepower, an enthusiastic ZED player and community member since last September, was elated to see a Z1 Nakamoto, Loading…, in his borrowing pool! When asked how it felt to race the most elite kind of racehorse in ZED, he explained, “It was empowering and amazing. I could immediately see the difference in the power of a Z1 Nakamoto Genesis on the tracks and in the competition.” Tommyn was also fortunate enough to qualify Loading… for the Progressive tournament and win a Quarter Final.

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After his own positive borrowing experience, he helped onboard a friend through the social wallet, who was nearly as lucky and snagged a Z2 Genesis as his first borrowed racehorse! They immediately jumped into racing together, an experience made possible through borrowing.

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“To be able to "borrow" Billions was one of the most exciting moments I've had in ZED RUN.” - Cadetrh, Cadet Racing

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Avid racer and well-known community member Cadetrh of Cadet Racing went into his borrowing experience with almost no expectations; yet he ended up borrowing one of the most famous racehorses in the game, Billions!

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Knowing some gems from Iceberg Racing would be in the Borrowing Market, Cadetrh, a big Final Wave fan, refreshed a few times hoping to see Final Wave come up. When he saw Billions and that gorgeous Fortune coat, however, he jumped at the opportunity.

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“There was ZERO HESITATION. As a smaller ‘investor’ other than my time, I've always dreamed of owning a Z1 one day,” he explained. “The best part was seeing that unique gold coat blaze through fields, knowing he was running for me!” Billions went on to place in the Finals of the Progressive tournament while in Cadetrh’s capable trainer hands.

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While Borrowing is a great feature for new users, Cadetrh serves as an example of how experienced users can enjoy the market in a borrowing capacity as well. In his words, “People shouldn't sleep on the chance to run a Z1 for a few days. It was a total THRILL and brought a new aspect of FUN to the daily grind. Lending can serve more than one purpose, and it certainly has for me! I also got enjoyment out of seeing one of the racehorses I lent out finish second in a QF!”

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Leader In Lending

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“I'm finding lending a very good gauge for quickly identifying racing talent.” - PK, Alhambren Bloodstock and ART

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Major stable owner PK, founder of Alhambren Bloodstock and the Alhambren Racing Team (ART), has always considered Lending to be an essential part of his strategy. A lender of over 800 racehorses, including five Z1s, he was glad to see many of his racehorses in the action again rather than sitting on the sidelines.

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One of the Z1s he placed into the lending pool was the famous DEZ, and PK was quite happy to see the performance of DEZ’s first borrower: “Isenhart Stables got DEZ first up and made close to 0.15 profit in 4 days, a win/win for us both!” he said. “It's great to watch others succeed.”

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As the founder of a flourishing racing team already in ART, PK is enjoying watching random borrowers exceed his expectations with some racehorses. “Where possible, I'm tracking who is doing what with the racehorses. Several racehorses that haven't raced in months, or even years, that have made daily finals surprised me. A lot of this has to do with good field selections and patience by the trainer,” he explained.

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Overall everyone we spoke to came to the same conclusion: they’re excited to see Borrowing continue to flourish in the future, and can’t wait for directed Lending!

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