I find the game horses that are ultra consistent, they don't need to win loads, but always placed, tend to be the ones you can rely on in CK trials. A lot more than a horse that wins multiple group 1s, but unplaced in others. I tend to have all my horses in the same races too, its easier for speed of season too

I just couldn't play the Ttf file way. I've got to enjoy playing the game

Martin I still have horses in the French guineas but only the ones who are bad or 9f horses.

Yes Vinny I reckon based on your posts we play in very similar way, the only difference is you priortise the flat and I prioritise NH, it's just luck my flat team is as good as it is. Sheer luck I found out my older falied jumps horses are decent on the flat. The flat trainers can blame Dancing Goddess for that. I really liked the horse, and eventually she got some G1's over hurdles, but then trialed badly. I sent her back over the flat and she won by very far. Done the offcast trials ever since then.

I play my jumps game in a similar way, I always have multiple horses in each of the big races, usually I am filling my horse carries for each day at the big festivals. I have upped my numbers now and have about 200 mares in the barn and about 18 in the stud. I breed three seasons and usually end up with about 400 to 450 horses after the three breeding seasons. I take them through to ten, usually 20 runs per horse, weeding out more now than I used too and then do one mass set of trials. I should get another 400 odd breed and trialled for the week 5 window. I also buy all the start of season auction horses for the first two breeding seasons, and buy from the mid weeks though mostly only the yearlings and the breeding mares, I cannot do the third start of season auction as I run out of room. It takes me about 7-10 days+ to get them out for trial.

Flat is similar but on a lesser scale, though I may abandon this game after one more cycle for week 5 and start a new combined game or a US flat. My flat horses are garbage as I am not getting anything new in the stud, just another flavour my lines.

I done a bit of the TFF files thing last 2 seasons, an it never really bothered me, but I have to say, playing like this, really h=getting to know your best horses, an the puzzle of proper breeding is so much more rewarding. Love being able to take my time and an read through the lines properly.

Whose ever idea it was to git rid of the Tff file for the league it was brilliant. Thanks. Only found it had been removed for league play when Gray emailed me to let me know. It allows much slower play, which for me is what the game is about

Yeah 100%, I was a bit sceptical at first as suspected it would still allow those who play a lot more to just forge clear, but the removal of the background stats has been just as big an achievement. Adding those 2 together has really evened it out

I said about getting shot of ttfs and having a half way house between all bars and no bars after no one could agree which way to go after all the voting. This is the best off all ways because u know some bars without knowing the important ones.

Yeah, I still like to pop in an watch a few races now, in game an especially my trials, just so you can pick up if they have cruising speed, acceleration etc from visuals. Adds another dimension to the breeding

Even more important to watch some jumps races to see who jumps well. I specifically like the ones who pass about 5 horses with a leap, have really tried to breed more of that into my lines

I'm very new to the jumps breeding, but funny you should say that, the horses I've entered are pretty much my first batch from the first ever mixed game I've played. I'm only 4 seasons in I think, and they're all gamebreds. I actually thought a few of them ran very well first week, none threatened obviously, but the ability to stay in the race for so long and a few of them jumped very well like you said. That jump where they overtake a few was the main reason I put Kre des Obeaux as my main horse, she does it so often, an seems to have a tonne of speed too

yeah john I was on board with the tff files kinda ruined the game back to basics is awesome even tho my current batch aint to good I know where to improve really rewarding

The best part is between each season someone may take a huge leap forward, whilst I think once you hit on a good thing it is easy enough to keep it going it does not take more than one or two good breeds to unlock the code.

The first season was always going to be a massive learning curve for everyone , we were all totally in the dark with how good are horses were/are. I thought my stayers were a good bunch but with the rest I was totally in the dark . I think with the right game stallion u can improve 4 or 5 lengths easily , that's one good thing with this game is u have to use them to improve u horses unlike all the other starter games were after 3 or 4 months I would never use them again. My best horse Encosta About ( father to most of mine) came about because of some game stallion and he improved my horses 2 or 3 lengths . The key to future glory is to find the one ( stallion)

Totally agree with this. One good game stalion can totally transform your game. I found 2 so far . A 3yo I bought at the sales early in the game. Second was a long time later I found a French sprint stallion in the breeding barn. All my sprint / milers come from him. And they were really poor before I found him. Judged on league performance my sprint /milers are right up there now and they all from a game stallion. He even managed to throw out an awesome 3 mile hurdler ( picture of Revolution is in this thread somewhere )

Another thing I like about SO7 is just because u have a great two year it doesn't mean it will be great the older it gets , and just because a horse is average at 2 doesn't mean he wont go on to be great at 5. My flat game is something I done for SO6 with all the little( bull ring) dirt courses I follow in the US and Oz. I thought I'd be able to breed some sprinters ( more sprinter races in my game) and some mile and a mile quarter horses but I cant bred a sprinter at all and my best horses are my stayers . and I didn't think u could bred stayers in a US game .