How about this. Controversial idea that people might not like but most players would be able to afford this. All jockeys stay at the level they are right now. You can pay a flat fee to hire a new jockey on a contract for life (you get to choose their gender and name, same as it is now), the fee being $150,000 (and yes that seems extortionate but they are signing their life away to ride for you in several races at the same time, sometimes on different continents!) and you can train them to become better:
Level 1-Sack of potatoes-Flat fee $150,000
Level 2-Improvement to 'Apprentice' jockey: +$15,000
Level 3-Improvement to 'Good' jockey: +$35,000
Level 4-Improvement to 'Natural' jockey: +$50,000
Total to get a 'Natural' jockey=$250,000
OR, you can hire a jockey out part-time instead:
Level 1 jockey:
1 race-$100
1 week-$1,000
2 weeks-$2,500
4 weeks-$5,000
8 weeks-$10,000
12 weeks-$15,000
16 weeks-$30,000
Level 2 jockey:
1 race-$250
1 week-$2,500
2 weeks-$5,000
4 weeks-$10,000
8 weeks-$20,000
12 weeks-$30,000
16 weeks-$60,000
Level 3 jockey:
1 race-$500
1 week-$5,000
2 weeks-$10,000
4 weeks-$20,000
8 weeks-$40,000
12 weeks-$60,000
16 weeks-$80,000
Level 4 jockey:
1 race-$1,000
1 week-$10,000
2 weeks-$20,000
4 weeks-$40,000
8 weeks-$80,000
12 weeks-$120,000
16 weeks-$160,000
The way this could be implemented is that everyone is required to pay the flat fee for any existing jockeys they have plus any extra fees that correspond to the jockey's level (so if you have a 'natural' jockey, you will pay $250,000 for them, a good jockey and you pay $200,000 for them with an option to pay $50,000 to make them a natural jockey). But if a player does not wish to keep the jockey, they can instead 'Release this jockey from their contract' and they go up on the hire a jockey market. The game creates a certain number of jockeys with random names and genders that will already appear on the market once the change takes place (let's say 500 from each category?) so that people who wish to hire rather than pay the up front fee have something to choose from. There will be 4 weeks for players to adjust to this change, if they do not do anything with their jockeys, the jockey will be released from their contract automatically. So any jockeys that a player wishes to keep must have the corresponding fees paid before the 4 week deadline. Also, all jockeys will have the jockey level displayed and the hire a jockey market can be sorted by the different levels. I know this renders the jockey agent useless but I doubt this feature brings in THAT much money.
This could work I think because the jockey isn't THAT big of a difference in a race so players who can't afford the best jockeys for every race aren't getting totally screwed but for players who can afford having 'Natural' jockeys, it's a small edge (and let's face it, if you are a big time player, hiring out and training 4 jockeys for life, let's say, will cost you $1,000,000 which isn't THAT much for a lot of the top players and it's a one time fee).
But I am super open to criticism on this idea, perhaps you have a way to improve it? Overhaul it completely? I'd love to hear it!
