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 Meet The Team - Flat 
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Post Meet The Team - Flat
Whilst my jump preparation was quite light and reasonably random, my flat preparation was very focussed and deliberate, I have likely spent twice the amount of time working on this team. 5th last time round with 34 wins and 7 G1’s was a respectable return, but in what maybe the last league, I want to do better.

My breeding approach moved away from a focus on breeding top trials horses to simply breeding better ‘bars’. I had all the pieces already available to me, I had just not mashed them all together and so I did cycle after cycle of improving the look of my horses before them putting my top trials horses back into the mix and breeding them on top of the better looking ‘foils’. There are areas I have improved a fair bit and a couple where the difference has only been small but all in this is likely the best flat group I have assembled and I hope they will be move competitive this term.

2yo

Have had G1 success with my 2yo’s from 6f up to 1m, though with a lot more consistency in the 1m bracket. Not wholly convinced about my sprinters this season, but my 1m group look to be G1 class following the exhibitions.

Redemption

Sire – Dead Red Demon – G1 League winner last season
Dam – Bags of Potential Must Fix – No league form

Pure 5f horse at trial and this has always been a distance where my flat horses are at their weakest. Breeding draws G1 league form from his sire, whereas the dam is a high potential development line designed to enhance my 2yo’s specifically. Stand out in the last two trials, but more likely to find favour in the handicaps when stacked up against league foe. Handicapper

Star Wars

Sire – Zar Zar – No league form
Dam – Forlorn In The Storm – No league form

Only been through one trial and thus a horse I have some doubts over, can run 5f but better at 6f. The sire who was close to a team slot, have G1 pedigree two generations back from ‘Dead Red Demon’ whereas the lineage in the dam, comes from my 1m lines and includes this years 2000 guineas candidate ‘Race From The Storm’ and G1 winner last season ‘Black Magic’. Group class.

Luck and Flaw

Sire – Cattle Drive – No league form
Dam – Zarafina – No league form

Another who only has one trial to her name, and I know she is also a little flawed, not full consistency. Runs 5f but likely better at 6f. The sire was watered down from the 1m line to be a sprinter, but there only names that mean something to me. Same for the dam really though ‘Cattle Drive’ also resides in her side of the breeding. Likely a handicapper who will flirt with the group races.

Night And Day

Sire – Monstrosity – No league form, featured in the exhibitions
Dam – The Good Old Days – No league form

This lass could be a bit special and gives me a stack of options as she ranges competitively from 6f to 1m, though she is better the longer the races get. Breeding sort of explains this as the sire is a 1.2m high potential horse, who can be tracked back to a 1.4m to 1m mix, but with little league form. The Dam has ex league horses ‘Dead Red Demon’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle in the breeding and adds the 6f speed. Think she will operation at group level and challenge for G1.

The Red Devil

Sire – Dead Red Demon – G1 League winner from last season
Dam – Full of Pot to Breed – No league form.

One who had a run in the exhibitions, coming in 2nd, and I have not been able to find anything better. Breeding again from G1 winner ‘Dead Red Demon, with the dam again being a stock mare from a potential breeding line, though this one was moving towards the 1m range. Really only comfortable at 7f, and whilst I expect him to run at group races it is likely the handicaps that will offer returns.

The Gunslinger

Sire – Wanna Be A Cowboy – No league form
Dam – Breed Foil – No league form.

My only flat winner at the exhibition races and his team place was locked at this point despite competition from one of his offspring. His sire has G1 quality from last seasons ‘Black Magic’ and he also pushed hard for this 2yo place. The Dam as the name suggests is a stock breed mare from a line to enhance cruising burst, three generations G1H winner the ‘Thing’ can also been found. G1 class.

3yo

Never really been able to offer much challenge with my 3yo’s, having only won the St Leger of the classics, and picked up the Irish Derby last season. I am sure there has been progression this time around, but based on the exhibitions I think I am still facing an uphill battle in this the toughest of the flat divisions.

Racketeering

Sire – Cigarettes And Alcohol – No league form
Dam – To Deny The Flash – In the league team as a 3yo

6f sprint horse who has been at the top of my trials for a couple of breeding cycles, gets his distance from his sire, who challenged for a spot in the team at 2yo and 3yo, though his breeding is also more towards 1m, and the dam is team member over this distance, with a lineage that is the same. I remain unconvinced and expect he will show his best form in the handicaps though will see group action.

Rocket Man

Sire – Monstrosity – No league form, featured in the exhibitions
Dam – Welcome Strangers – No league form

Late inclusion after ‘Tears For Two Thousand’ failed in the exhibitions, though his last trial also merited the change. Sire ‘Monstrosity’ who is from a full potential at 3yo line, that comes with full speed and nice cruise, ran well enough in the exhibitions and he also features one generation back in the dam, both sides if you go far enough back were derived from my 1.4m horses who were diluted down the distances. Will be entered into G1 but I expect he will get more traction in the lower group races and handicaps.

Race From The Storm

Sire – Sand Storm – No league form, featured in the exhibitions
Dam – Race For It All – No league form

For a while now my top 1m colt and 2000 guineas candidate. Runs just off the leading group and if he times it correctly can be tough to overturn, likely to find the league calibre a little better than my trials though. Breeding on his sires side is mixed 6f and 1m, ‘Wanna Be A Cowboy’ the only familiar name, the otherside is a development line at its conclusion and provides all the right bits. G1 contender, group class.

To Deny The Flash

Sire – Flash In The Pan – No league form
Dam – Permission Denied – No league form

Front running 1000 guineas horse, who was just run down in the recent exhibitions, feel that maybe her lot in the league, but she remains the best I can offer. The sire is another finished development line, started by ‘Wanna Be A Cowboy’, the dams breeding is somewhat similar and has class at 1m, ‘Permission Denied’ was for a long time my top 1m filly. Group class, but likely to see some time in the handicaps.

Cash In Your Chips

Sire – Holding Folding – In the team as a 3yo, featured in the exhibitions at 2yo.
Dam – Broke Con Cb Uber Need Speed – No league form

In with the Prix De Diane in mind, though one about whom I am not especially confident so early results will be important. Sire ‘Holding Folding’ is in the team and holds trial spots from 2yo to 4yo and he can link his breeding back to another league horse ‘Loki’. The dam as the name suggests is a stock mare from a 84% cruising burst development line, none of the other names are relevant. Handicapper most likely.

Holding Folding

Sire – Jumbo – No league form
Dam – Permission Denied – No league form

One for whom the Prix Du Jockey Club is the target, though I fear I will come to regret not finding a place for him as a 2yo. Breeding is a very deliberate effort to get a 1.2m horse, with the sire being my best 1.4m at the time and the dam my best 1m at the time. ‘Loki’ and ‘Wanna Be A Cowboy’ can also be found in the extended lineage. Low group class is my best guess, could surprise.

Sweet Harmony

Sire – Heimdall – No league form
Dam – Liquid Swords – No league form

Breed in my last cycle and one of two horses that mark the fulfilment of my breeding objective. Full potential at 3yo, full speed, 84% cruise and turns up for trials. Maybe my best derby prospect, and has the measure of stablemate ‘Loki’ though not consistently at Epsom. Hold up type with a strong final turn of pace and good staying speed. Extended lineage includes ‘Loki’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ who are both often involved with a lot of good 1.4m horses. G1 class

Loki

Sire – Dawn of The Starts – No league form
Dam – Breed To Crackerjack – No league form

One of my favourite horses, partly as he is named after one of my cats, but also as he was one of the first 1.4m horses too top my trials in the latest breeding effort. Front runner who as long since fallen away from all trials but the 3yo, and it was only recently I discovered why. I always trial my 3yo 1.4m horses at Epsom, and Epsom for whatever reason seems to be the only place this front runner is not caught at the death, just as he did in the exhibitions. Feel he will be a huge disappointment in the league, but that Epsom form cannot be overlooked with the Derby in mind. Group class.

Salems Lot

Sire – The Book Of Eli – In the team as a 4yo
Dam – Grvity – In the team as a 4yo

Bred in my last cycle from two who had already pretty much locked in their team places. Her sire does his best work at 1.6m and is bred from my 3yo team 2m horse ‘Your Turn to Wonder’ and a 1.2m horse who ran reasonably in the exhibitions ‘Elijah’. Dam ‘Gravity’ hails from a similar 2m to 1.4m cross and is I think G1 class herself, ‘Loki’ exists in her more extened lineage. My Oaks horse and I think group class.

My Fair Maiden

Sire – Rumbling – No league form, but ran a close 2nd in the exhibitions
Dam – Bowling Over The Maiden – No league form

Will be looking at the St leger in theory, but will depend on how to fares in the first 5 weeks of the season. Consistently trials well but she is only one generation removed on her sires side from last years league horse ‘The Star Lords’ and he was not quite G1 level with 2 wins, one G2. The dam side of the breeding is more hopeful, hailing from ‘Loki’ four generations back and a host of my other top 1.4m horses since. Could be better than I think. Group and handicap class.

Your Turn To Wonder

Sire – Wait Your Turn – Returning horse 3 wins 2x G2 and 1 G3
Dam – The Dimension Of Wonder – No league form

Stand out 3yo who I think is at the same level as her Queens Vase winning sire who returns as a 4yo this season and was a little unlucky in the recent exhibitions. Her dam is also a very solid trial horse over 2m. May struggle with the older horses but should stand with the best of her age group. Group class.

4yo

Usually where I have most of my league success, likely as everything I have has reached full potential by 4yo in my flat lines. Think I have a fair number who will be in and around the top tier in the G1’s, but expect to play second fiddle more often than not.

The Radiance Of Pigs

Sire – Zar Zar – No league form
Dam – Spectacular – No league form

Never had much to shout about at 5f and so I am short of confidence with this years offering. I have worked on the area a fair bit, but seem to be exactly where I have always been. There are a few league horses in the lineage, and the ray of hope comes from ‘Dead Red Demon’ on the side of the sire. Handicapper to low group class.

Welcome To Tombstone

Sire – High Noon – No league form
Dam – Welcome To The Moon – No league form

Late and slightly suprising entrant as my 6f horse. Always in the top three for a few trials now, but never top spot, however consistently beat his rivals in the last set of match races to win his place. There is some talent in the lineage though ‘ Dead Red Demon’ again from the sire, and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ from the dam, both have league wins up to G1. Could compete for G1’s. High Group class.

Angel

Sire – Forlorn Hope – No league form
Dam – Gracie – No league form

Another who claimed her slot in a final round of five horse match races, though there was little to split those five. Breeding on the sires side includes ‘Wanna Be A Cowboy’ who has influenced a few of my one mile crop, the dam has a little of everything, three lines mixing potential, high cruise and speed. Think she will be group competitive, may find the G1’s a little to hot though. Group class.

Shock To The System

Sire – Every Breath You Take – No league form
Dam – Shock Therapy – No league form

The second of my perfect horses, least from a perspective of the ‘bars’. Sire had the same profile, but did not trial quite so well and hails from a line that has gradually progressed to this end. Dam is more classy, and has been a regular on my trails for some time as was her dam before her. Remains to be seen if he is good or just good on paper, we shall have our first test in Dubai. Group class.

Gravity

Sire – Odin – No league form
Dam – The Dimension of Wonder – No league form

Bred to be a 1.6m horse with a line that mixed my very best 2m horses on the dam side, to a top 1.4m line from the sire including firm favourite ‘Loki’. Could have taken a spot as a 3yo but as my best 1.4m horse I think she will deliver more here. Ranges up to 1.5m does not stay further than this. Will be G1 competitive I think. Group class.

The Book of Eli

Sire – Elijah – No league form, featured in the exhibitions
Dam – Your turn to Wonder – In the team as a 3yo

Another breed designed to improve my 1.6m horses. Sire Elijah who ran reasonably well in the exhibitions, is a 1.4m rated horse but who only performed at 1.2m. His extended breeding is into a cruise line, but includes some good trial horses and 1m specialist ‘Permission Denied’. Dam ‘Your Turn to Wonder’ my 3yo 2m entrant whose is bred from another league horse ‘Wait Your Turn’ and frequent breeding mare ‘The Dimension of Wonder’. This one hit the mark and lands exactly were intended as a 1.6m horse. Group class.

Wait Your Turn

Sire – Elrond – In the team last season as a 1.6m horse single handicap win
Dam – Shuffle Hustle – In the team last season as a 2.4m horse, no wins

Breeding is really old for this returning horse, who as 3yo won the Queens Vase, 2x G2’s against the older horses and ran 4th in the Melbourne Cup under top weight. Little unlucky in the recent exhibitions. Should be more competitive now against the older horses reasonably sure he is G1 class.

Shuffles Off In Wonder

Sire – Wonderlust – No league form
Dam – Shuffle Hustle – No league form

This years long distance stayer, just about beat out his own dam 5yo ‘Shuffle Hustle’ from a return this season. Sire ‘Wonderlust’ is from a more modern 2m line and features some of my best horses at this range. Dam given she is a potential returning horse has a really old lineage that likely speaks to my not having progressed at this range. John is always the one to catch. Group class but will handicap.


Sun Mar 10, 2019 10:45 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
OK, now you are making me feel very disorganised! :lol:
I have learned alot from my trials this time, but my breeding is not as targeted as yours appears.

I have no 2yo's entered this season because for some reason they all seemed to have a bungee rope attached that pulled them up at the 1f mark.
I really dont know what i am doing wrong. I suspect i have too much CB and that might be causing them to run early or something because last seasons 2yo's with less CB seemed to run better.

Anyway great summary of your team and hope i can make them work hard in some races.

Cheers


Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:48 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
I find pulling those summaries together really insightful, which horses are consistently in the mix etc, I rarely study the lineage at other times.

I went backward with my 2yo’s got a lot of older horses after finding the same thing, those with worse bars and bred from there, though chronologically the 2yo’s generally are likely amongst my oldest files.

All maybe academic now as I have to decided bred for the window or give so7 another spin.


Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:33 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
if it was not Cheltenham week id have done a stable tour just no time unfortunately alot of them ran in the trials

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Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:18 pm
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Only bred 2yo & 3yo for the flat team.
NH team are only comeback horses or last season horses which didn't make the team and some flat horses.
Maybe some can surprise. When do we get the weather for week 1?


Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:29 pm
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
I organized my team on a spreadsheet for the first time. Pretty handy where I can quickly see what trial distance(s) they excelled at. I checked each horse in the kit using the filter to find each horse's distance range which is helpful. I noted the parents for easy checking of clones. The going and breeding distance the game says my horse is bred for. I trialed on good and heavy tracks and noted which surface was preferred.

Image

I didn't play much between seasons but the horses I did breed should be slightly more talented than last season. They'll still be cheap handicappers though. Aside from a few homebreds on the jumps team the majority of my jumpers were acquired in two seasons of a UK flat seller race only schedule. I just needed some horses for a jumps team. The seller schedule is a lame and unfulfilling way to play but at least I'll help fill some races.

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Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
SiriusChill wrote:
I organized my team on a spreadsheet for the first time. Pretty handy where I can quickly see what trial distance(s) they excelled at. I checked each horse in the kit using the filter to find each horse's distance range which is helpful. I noted the parents for easy checking of clones. The going and breeding distance the game says my horse is bred for. I trialed on good and heavy tracks and noted which surface was preferred.



Interesting!
So looking at your data for Blue Norther are you saying his listed going preference is "Firmer" but in the trials he did best on "Heavy"?
I have always assumed the suggested going preference was correct.


Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:15 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Great work from both Josh & Sirus, I wish I could be so organised!

I think 21 in the Hunt for me with 14 newbies giving me an opportunity of 14 new horses come the break if needed, and about 20 on the flat with about 5/6 coming back.

Think my Hunt is where its at this year and hoping to improve on the G1 win of last year, but this is probably a foolish statement, just want to beat Martin really hahahaha...


p.s anyone else noted how slow it is to post a message on here ?


Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:52 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Quote:
So looking at your data for Blue Norther are you saying his listed going preference is "Firmer" but in the trials he did best on "Heavy"?
I have always assumed the suggested going preference was correct


Its an indication only, and you need to consider the effect of the going adaption bar also. Have a firm ground horse in my jump team as the bred failed to shake the trait from flat parentage, shes very happy on soft, only going I trial my jumpers on.


Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:00 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Quote:
p.s anyone else noted how slow it is to post a message on here ?


Yep, it hangs alot for me, sometimes it never refreshes but the message still seems to post.


Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:01 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Quote:
Your Turn To Wonder

Sire – Wait Your Turn – Returning horse 3 wins 2x G2 and 1 G3
Dam – The Dimension Of Wonder – No league form

Stand out 3yo who I think is at the same level as her Queens Vase winning sire who returns as a 4yo this season and was a little unlucky in the recent exhibitions. Her dam is also a very solid trial horse over 2m. May struggle with the older horses but should stand with the best of her age group. Group class.


Replaced as a 4yo....................

'Top draw 2m filly who will push her sire all season long for the top slot of my 2m horses, should compete favourably with older horses.


Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:04 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Githyanki wrote:
Quote:
p.s anyone else noted how slow it is to post a message on here ?


Yep, it hangs alot for me, sometimes it never refreshes but the message still seems to post.


Might need a bit of a turf out as posts go way back and I guess alot not relevant anymore, one for you to get your teeth into PJ :wink:


Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:10 am
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Posting on the forum has been testing lately some post take ages to load and some dont load at all its the server id say

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Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:08 pm
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Post Re: Meet The Team - Flat
Quote:
Interesting!
So looking at your data for Blue Norther are you saying his listed going preference is "Firmer" but in the trials he did best on "Heavy"?
I have always assumed the suggested going preference was correct.


It's all correct. Blue Norther was more competitive in the heavy trials but the overall quality of this group of trial horses wasn't spectacular. He made the grade due to always hitting the board. He didn't win the majority of the trials.

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Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:00 pm
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