ChasersShesa Animal – 2m Sire – The Beast – No league form
Dam – Law of Nature – No league form
Has been my top 2m chaser for some time, but also flirted with the flat team as a 2yo, the breeding is not surprisingly mixed, her sire ‘The Beast’ brings ‘The Mountain’ back onto the list in team breeding and himself has directly sired 3 league team members. Her dam was a mix between G1 flat horse ‘Mocha Latte’ and G1 chaser ‘Law of Consequence’ whilst herself being solid in both codes. Will go for the Queen Mother, has been on occasion been a lazy jumper. Graded class
Unto the Breach – 2mSire – Another Day to Pillage – No league form
Dam – Shesa Animal – No league form (in the Jumps team)
Go back four generations on the side of her sire ‘Another Day to Pillage’, who very nearly made the grade, and there is flat breeding that included my 1m 2000 guineas horse of last season, more recently the breeding markers include G1 Arkle winner of last season ‘Stay Another Day’ add this to the dam who leads my 2m chase team ‘Shesa Animal’ and you have sound mix for reasoned expectations, likely 4th on the pecking order, could flirt with graded class.
Sky High – 2m – NoviceSire – Release the Beast – No league form
Dam – High Class – No league form
A 6f flat horse this one who has no real business being a chaser. His sire ‘Release the Beast’ has been introduced many times in the flat team write up and it is from his side the single chase horse can been seen ‘In Estate of Decline’. His dam ‘High Class’ is all sprinters breeding and on the old side of my bloodlines, certainly prior to me making my breakthrough with ‘Release the Beast’. But he is the 2nd best 2m chaser on the books, least on trial form, so the Arkle will be the target for a horse I hope to be graded class.
Legal Framework – 2m Sire – Stepping Stones – No league form
Dam – Law of Consequence – G1 winner
Rangy chaser who will switch comfortably from 2m to 2.4m if it were not for the 3f rule, and is top three in both distances on trial. Her sire ‘Stepping Stones’ was the result of a mix breed between a failed sprinter and league horse champion hurdle runner up ‘Chess’, though he was less than impressive in trial. Her dam delivers class from G1 winner ‘Law of Consequence’ again. Could go either end of her spectrum in the big races so keeps the Queen Mother and the Ryanair in her sights. Reasonably sure she will be graded class.
In Estate of Shock – 2.4m - NoviceSire – In Estate of Madness – No league form (in the Jumps team)
Dam – Mysterious Ceremony – No league form
Would not be my chase team really if there was not a horse called ‘In Estate’ though there is a fair amount of inbreeding in her lineage. Her sire ‘In Estate of Madness’ is the pick of my 2.4m chasers and again has familiar breeding markers with ‘Law of Consequence’ and ‘In Estate of Mystery’ involved. Her dam ‘Mysterious Ceremony’ also has the later of those two in her breeding and further back there are other also ran graded class league horses from last season. Handicap/graded class, likes to leave it late and may also see some time over hurdles, though only as a lack a pure novice hurdler at this distance.
In Estate of Madness – 2.4mSire – In Estate of Mystery – No league form
Dam – Law of Consequence – G1 winner
Has a lineage that by now speaks for itself with two directly familiar names, also shares exact parentage with ‘Argurious of Sparta’ who missed a deserved team place as a result. Will be the natural candidate for the Ryanair, depending on form, and I am reasonably sure this hold up runner will feature in graded class races, unlikely to hurdle as I see nothing on trial form, but always a possibility if the races fall that way.
Law of Consequence – 2.4mSire – Enchanted Moment – 2nd place St Ledger, 5th place The Derby last season
Dam – The Perfect Foil – No league form
G1 Melling Chase winner from last season who has a distinctly flat looking lineage from her sire ‘Enchanted Moment’. Not that her dam adds much in that respect either, with no breeding of note, but she chased really well last season and looks to be in top form again for this. Trials as well if not better than the new generation and that alone could be an indication that I have not really improved at all. We’ll leave that thought there and assume she just got much much better as a 6yo
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In Nominee Padre – 2.4m - NoviceSire – Sympathy for the Devil – 2x G1 3m Hurdle winner
Dam – Law of Consequence – G1 winner
Lineage here speaks for itself, in a horse I bred some time ago and who has never really lost her spot, ultra-consistent in trial, even if she does not always beat the others in the top group, 2nd or rarely lower the 3rd circa 80% of the time. Likely going to head to Cheltenham for the Golden Miller though will battle ‘In Estate of Shock’ along the way. Graded potential seems likely from the breeding.
Eight to Lose – 3mSire – Argurious of Sparta – No league form
Dam – Pieces of Eight – No league form
An attempt to improve my distance horses saw a cross bred between sire ‘Argurious of Sparta’ who is discussed frequently above and Dam ‘Pieces of Eight’ who is from a flat line that features G1 winner ‘Mocha Latte’ The result has been a new line in my barn the ‘Eights’ who have already seen a mention in the hurdle write up and seem to have chase and hurdle pedigree. This girl will happily hurdle and chase at 2.4m and chase up to 3m, again 3f rule notwithstanding. Not entirely convincing in the final round of trails so I figure a handicapper and low grade horse who can fill in a range of races.
Snowstorm – 3mSire – Argurious of Sparta – No league form
Dam – Crystal Maze – No league form
Always cheers me up to see a white horse make my 3m chase team as I know the lineage goes back a long way and has included G1 and G2 winners in the last two leagues. ‘The Wraith’ and ‘Café Au Lait’ specifically from last season. I’d call them the ‘white line’ if it were not likely to get me banned
and it is dam ‘Crystal Maze’ who is a descendant of that line. Sire ‘Argurious of Sparta’ adds familiarity and quality at the same time. Could challenge for the Gold Cup, certainly expect to see him on G1 race cards.
Messy Conclusion – 3m – NoviceSire – In Estate of Mystery – No league form
Dam – In Estate of Grandeur – No league form
Been in the mix for a long time now and has already understood and discussed pedigree in her lineage. Sired by ‘In Estate of Mystery’ and mixed with dam ‘In Estate of Grandeur’ who herself was a class act and direct product of the ‘Estate’ line and the ‘White’ mixing, specifically ‘The Wraith’ and last years league horse ‘In Estate of Change’. Looks solid for a novice chaser and I am hoping she will be knocking on the graded door this season. If only she was white.
Gathering Pace – 3mSire – Snails Pace – No league form (in the Jumps team)
Dam – Not the Full Shilling – No league form
Trial form suggests she is my best 3m+ chaser and will be another looking towards the Gold Cup. Her sire has a three generation old connection to the ‘Estate’ and ‘White’ line, though more recently has been mixed with my largely failed national breeding programme ‘Snails Pace’ mentioned later in the team. Her dam though is quality and an Irish barn breed who nearly made the team at 2.4m ‘Not the Full Shilling’ whose breeding markers also include ‘Fatal Moonshine’ in the hurdle team and that old favourite ‘Alabama’ Graded class, pretty confident in that.
The Wraith – 3.4mSire – Great White Hope – Gold Cup runner up from 2 seasons back
Dam – Reflected Estate – Failed league horse
My second returning horse is a G1 Hennessey winner from last season, whose sire ‘Great White Hope’ was the originator of the now long standing ‘white’ line. The original ‘Estate’ is one generation removed on her dam ‘Reflected Estate’s’ side. Really is like going back in time looking at that and like ‘Law of Consequence’ above the horse that maybe tells me I have actually stood still in breeding. The one thing that has changed now she is 7yo is that she can no longer keep up at 3m, so there maybe hope yet, and it is at 3.4m that she will now challenge. Some concern about the number and quality of races for a horse already rated in the 160’s at this distance so may not be here pass week 5. Still nice to see her back.
Snails Pace – 4mSire – Jacobs Ladder – No league form
Dam – Exhausted – No league form
Desperate for a National horse I threw my then top 3m chaser his sire ‘Jacobs Ladder’ who has long since fallen away in the pecking order at dam ‘Exhausted’ whose breeding does include league form in the shape of last years horses ‘National Sensation’ and ‘Tiresome Lass’. ‘Law of Consequence’ is also in the lineage three generations removed. The result was this 3m chaser, least on paper who in trial stays and wins at 4m. Fairly sure this one and indeed the other ‘Snail’ below, will live up to their names, but it’s the National, got to have something in it. Handicapper and likely not a good one.
Snail Trail – 4mSire – Snails Pace – No league form (in the Jumps team)
Dam – On Beneded Knee – No league form
The 2nd of the ‘Snails’ which will either become my new National breeding line or be consigned to the scrap heap after this league. Comes in a year older than his sire ‘Snails Pace’ as the jumper got a lot better and that cannot hurt around Aintree. Dam ‘On Bended Knee’ is a direct descendent from ‘National Sensation’ again and likely marks him as a handicapper also. Stays to 4.2m so will be the 2nd horse the National unless I can wrangle something better before week 5.