Jump Team

Stable Tour so long it deserved it own thread.

I am big fan of jump racing, I picked up the bug from my father when I was about 10 years old, starting with the Grand National and my first ever bet, a £1 ew on Greasepaint in the ’83 running of the race. I follow it, watch it and regularly go to various courses around the country. This year aside as I was avoiding the virus, I have hardly missed attending a Cheltenham Festival for about 20 years.

I have about 45/50 seasons now into my UK Jumps only game and where my flat game breeding and training is a rushed process of blind luck and general flaw, my Jumps breeding and training is closer to a science, though you will not believe it if you stay until the end. But it does take an age for me to work out my pairings and just as long tinkering with training, even if I do play the game entirely for the league rather than the game itself.

I started to play the game seriously when the first set of league exhibition races were announced, I was far too grumpy about the loss of SO6 when the game first came out , and I was pleased to have a few of my early breeds run close to Leon’s somewhat dominant team in those exhibitions, knowing I was a fair bit away in terms of the ‘monsters’ being posted on the forum thread.

That foundation was built upon and I made steady progress at trials, but I never really cracked my horses potential, having only a few who reached full potential even by 8yo, it was my main problem to solve. Things changed with the arrival, maybe two of my breeding generations ago (8 seasons to everyone else), of a chance purchase of a 4yo colt at the start of season auctions (I have not seen his like since, I even tried to track down his extended lineage). I usually always buy everything and I usually sell most of them straight afterwards or drop them in the barn to breed, but this horse had 90% potential as 4yo, was full unrealised by 6yo and held that potential fully from 7yo until 9yo. His speed was woeful and he did not win a single race in game, but he did just sneak into my 3m chase trials, enough to give me confidence that he would not only solve my issue with potential when mixed with my existing stock but also had whatever that magic thing is that makes a horse good at trial.

In the last two generations he has been something of a breeding god, he passes on his potential frequently in breeding and more often than not the foal is taking the speed etc from my mares. I would guess about 90%+ of my jump team, who now utterly destroy those I ran in the exhibitions, are sired by him. He is 16 or 17 now and at the age where he could die, but he has done his job so well I have all the best of his traits in many other horses over a range of distances, my only problem now is the potential for inbreeding something I usually seek to avoid in my games, I am buying every mare I can find right now just to mix things up.

I am not sure I have entirely caught Leon up yet, or hit my own celling, but I figure I shall run him pretty close now and at the very least make the race for the NH title a bit more of a competition, from the looks of week 1 there will be at least another 2 trainers in the running, all good for what looks set to be an exciting first season. If I had more time I would have trialled more at different ages but since I don’t have that time any longer they are all in as 8yo's the only age I got around to doing. But still I am pretty confident I have graded level horses throughout my team and as always I have selected them based on their overall consistency rather than single race brilliance. Hopefully I won’t spend all year coming sodding second, but I bet a gather a bunch of them.

Nick Somerville was the name of the horse I found at auction, you will note how frequently he appears below, either directly or one generation back, I should probably rename the stable after him

Anyway hope this helps with any current sleeping issues.......

2m Hurdlers

The Groom of Doom (Juvenile)

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding God
Dam Bride of Doom – Homebred. In the league team

My only 4yo entrant, I would usually field at least two. But I am not sure I can match flat or combined game horses from a jumps only game right now. I have a handful of flat horses from my Australian game who run just as well as this chap does. Sired by the mighty white god Nick Somerville, he has taken more from his Dam though in terms of early potential, though she is probably my 2nd best 2m hurdler when she is 8yo. Does not make it when he gets older though fell off the trial sheets at 8. He is I think the only horse I have who will be an out and out handicapper will probably avoid the Triumph in favour of the Fred Winter and I may not even keep him if I don’t think I’ll get a win out of him. Handicapper.

Dominatrix

Sire Royaume Perk – Gamebred multi G1 winner at 2.4m. Full speed.
Dam Impassive Ease – Homebred good trial horse now breeding mare.

My top 2m hurdler, tends to hang just off the leaders and challenges later than I would like, but she is usually there or thereabouts and scores highest in trial. Sire ‘Royaume Perk’ was another gamebred I found at auction who also propelled my team forward somewhat, he won a hatful of G1’s over 2.4m in game, and was himself sired by a 12x G1 winning gamebred ‘Tayarat Earth’ who started my 3m hurdle lines. Dam was also a top trial hurdler for a time and comes from my early exhibition runner ‘Silverglas Ratagan’. Graded Challenger, Champion hurdle entrant.

The Big Easy

Sire Ease of Use – Homebred Full speed stud
Dam Impassive Ease – Homebred. Good trial horse now breeding mare.

My top novice though the different between her and Dominatrix above is moot. Sire had full speed which he carried forward from ‘Royaume Perk’ but trailed poorly, Dam was my top trial hurdler for some time before my more recent advancements. Lovely jet-black lass, makes her challenge early after usually just sitting back off the front runners, has the speed to make it count, though not at full as her father. Will aim for the Supreme. Graded Challenger, will run the odd NHF.

Going To Be All White

Sire The Best Man – Homebred stud horse
Dam Safe From Harm – Homebred breeding mare

The weakest of my 2m hurdlers this novice also suffers from a lack of consistency and tends to prefer a run in larger fields, will make her more suitable to some of the graded handicaps. She is also a hold up horse but lacks the pace to really nail it home. Sire, was decent at trial but no star and is one generation removed from breeding god Nick Somerville (who as a 3m chaser has not quite sorted out my 2m hurdlers yet). Dam came from a now wound up line of hurdlers. Work in progress this line. Low graded handicapper, will see graded races.

Bride of Doom

Sire Fix Bayonets – Homebred low potential but great early trial form.
Dam Java Java Java – Homebred breeding mare

Really old mare who has been at the top end of my trail sheets for ages. Sort of marks a lack of progress in my 2m hurdlers and why I am not convinced they are up to snuff. Hold up type for the most part who again does not quite have the speed to make it count at the business end. Sire was a very decent if low potential hurdler and dam a breeding mare who has had a hand in a few decent horses. Low graded class.

2.4m Hurdlers

Lana Del Rey

Sire Summer Time Sadness – Missed the league team due to lineage clash
Dam Skip To The Good Stuff – Good chaser at trials, ran in the exhibitions.

Lovely mare this who is competitive from 2m to 2.4m over hurdles. Tends to sit of the leading horses and likes to challenges early. Sire was in the league team but his lineage clashed with one of my chasers so he lost his spot, one generation back in his lineage you can find ‘Nick Somerville’ Dam was once my top 2.4m chaser and ran in the exhibitions, since lost her place and now is in the breeding barn. Graded potential.

Archangel

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god.
Dam Designed Her Right – Good hurdler at trial.

My star 2.4m hurdler, but may not be ideally suited to the league as he tends to run in the pack and challenges late. Sire is once again my wonder stud ‘Nick Somerville’ Dam was a top class trials horse over 2.4m hurdles out of ‘Royaume Perk’ who also nearly made the team. Aintree Hurdle the long term goal. Graded challenger.

Reap What You Sow

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god
Dam All The Right Parts – Goof hurdler at trial

Decent sort but no star, runs as a novice and will be looking for handicaps and low graded races. It is becoming boring already I know, but ‘Nick Somerville’ again was the sire, again breeding with one of my best 2.4m hurdlers at the time ‘All the Right Parts’ who was also by ‘Royaume Perk’. 3rd in my overall 2.4m pecking order. Graded handicapper.

Tip Top

Sire Worked Out All White – Homebred Good trial hurdler, nearly made the team.
Dam Top of The Morning To You – Homebred Top trialling breeding mare

One of my few inbreeds, and about my worse 2.4m hurdler, does range up to about 3m though so will give me options, both parents were sired by the one and only ‘Nick Somerville’ enough said. Handicapper, might sneak into some graded races.

Sins Of The Angels

Sire Archangel – Homebred In the league team
Dam Foible Tall – Gamebred breeding mare

Only made the team as I had to cut ‘Summer Time Sadness’ and is my weakest novice over 2.4m. Got not enough of her sire and too much of the gamebred dam. Runs in the middle of the pack, tend to challenge too late. Could also be used over 2m races. Handicapper may nibble at the edges of some graded races.

3m Hurdlers

The White Witch

Sire Monster In Me – Top 3m trial horse now a stud
Dam Helen of Troy – Gamebred breeding mare

My star 3m hurdler, though can be a little inconsistent, least by my standards, hangs off the leading horses and usually challenges early, can switch off from time to time when she hits the front. Sire was by ‘Tayarat Earth’ who had a hand in a lot of my 3m lines and lived up too his name from about season 10 in game, has finally fallen out of the top tier of my hurdlers. Dam needless to say was by ‘Nick Somerville’. World Hurdle in mind. Graded Challenger.

Return of The Royal

Sire Royaume Perk – Gamebred top trials horse now in stud
Dam Hidden Potential – Homebred front running breeding mare

Recent breed, but something of a throw back using two of my older breeding horses. Largely a front runner who comes in as my top novice 3m hurdler. Sire ‘Royaume Perk’ has been involved in the breeding of a fair number of my better horses and hidden potential is a long staying hurdler/chaser who ranges up to 4m. Stood out in my previous set of trial, now stands 2nd or 3rd in my pecking order after the latest generation. Graded Challenger

Gloria

Sire Nickerbocker Glory – Homebred in team
Dam Satin Tutrice – Homebred breeding mare

Front runner who was actually breed as a chaser and comes from a chasing line, but seems to take better to hurdler, where she stays longer. Not top draw and is the second of my two 3m novices. Will see some action over fences but only as a handicapper. Sire is a long staying 3.4m team member, dam is just a breeding mare but from a 2.4m chase line. Handicap chaser, graded hurdler.

Full Court Press

Sire Return of The Royal – In the team
Dam Hope Is A Good Thing – Top trialling breeding mare

Latest of my 3m hurdlers from my last generation of breeding. Hold up type who usually challenges early, will sometimes take it on if nothing else does. Sire is in the team and mentioned above. Dam was a top class trial horse over 2.4m from a established hurdle lineage ‘Monster In Me’ the most interesting. Will challenge the White Witch for the world hurdle slot. Graded Challenger.

Tigris of Gaul

Sire Monster In Me - Top 3m trial horse now a stud
Dam Time It White – Homebred breeding mare.

The 5th of my 3m hurdlers, maybe one too many, gets the slot as I did not take another 4yo into the team. Just beat out ‘Monster in Me’ in the final trials. Game sort who is pretty consistent and will mostly look for value in the handicaps, maybe the odd graded race.

Chasers

2m Chasers

Words To The Wise

Sire Summer Time Sadness – Homebred missed the team due to lineage clash
Dam Words That Hurt – In the team

Recently bred 2m chasing monster, brutal hard staying out and out front runner who on her best days puts 4 lengths over her Dam ‘Words that Hurt’. Sire should have made the team on merit and comes again from the ‘Nick Somerville’ breeding bonanza. Dam won her exhibition which was unkindly put down to leon’s horse falling. Trust me when I tell you she will win races this season on merit. Queen Mother and one of my favourite stable horses. Graded Challenger.

Words That Hurt

Sire Fix Bayonets -Homebred old stud hurdler
Dam Heartsong Rumba – Homebred breeding mare

Won her exhibition race and has since been breeding some nice looking horses including one of my stars above. Another hard staying front running type, but her breeding is an interesting mix of low potential hurder, sire Fix Bayonets and Heartsong Rumba a front running dam who has had a hand in a few of my better horses. Arkle for this one, get on ante post . Graded challenger.

Rumbas Last Dance

Sire Floats Like A Sommerfly - In the league team
Dam Heartsong Rumba – Homebred breeding mare

3rd in the pecking order of my 2m chasers and the third who is a front running type. Not as aggressive as those from the ‘Words’ line of horses and takes her name as she was the last foal from a long serving breeding mare. Sire is my top 2.4m chaser in the team and of course hails from ‘Nick Somerville’ May just be able to sneak the odd graded race, but more likely to see action in the handicaps.

Fantastic Fiction

Sire Viable Fiction – Top trial 2m chasing colt.
Dam Fulgina Elgar – Gamebred breeding mare

Weaker of my two novices from the ‘Fiction’ line who used to be part of everything decent I did over fences. Viable fiction still holds a place on the trial sheets but only about 8th in the list. Line is now somewhat displayed by a certain ‘Nick Somerville’ and offspring. One of the few who makes the team pre his era, but more likely a handicapper than a graded prospect.

2.4m Chasers

In The Nick of Time

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god
Dam Skip To The Good Stuff – Top trialling 2.4m chaser ran in the exhibitions

Rated the best of my 2.4m chasers and in theory will be my Ryanair entrant, tend to hold up and challenge early, but sometimes get caught for pace. Sire is ‘Nick Somerville’ who I am now bored of mentioning. Dam was a class trial horse who featured in the early exhibitions but has since found more work in the breeding barn. Graded prospects.

Floats Like A Sommerfly

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god
Dam Heartsong Rumba – Homebred breeding mare

Got the slot over ‘Summer Time Sadness’ as he is a better chaser than his full brother is a hurdler, range is good also and he should be competitive from 2m to 2.4m. Breeding succeeded in bringing the front running style of Dam Heartsong Rumba, mentioned above, to the potential of yes you guessed it ‘Nick Somerville’ Will also have the Ryanair in mind and the front running style may better suit the league. Graded prospects.

Barca

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god
Dam Doubt Me Not – Homebred breeding mare

Jack of all trades, master of none type who will see action over both novice hurdles and fences, probably better as a chaser though. Sire needs no further introduction. Dam was a decent trialling 3m chaser horse who lost her spot in the team since the arrivals of the somervilles. Handicapper over hurdles, low class graded over fences.

All Looks Good

Sire Nick Somerville – Gamebred breeding god
Dam Glory Cruise – Gamebred breeding mare

Gamebred on both sides of his lineage but my top Novice is of course sired by ‘Nick Somerville’ will see some competition from the 3m group of horses with some of them running well over 2.4m also. By now I know that you’re thinking that Sutherland bloke just got lucky with one uber game horse. Probably more true than I would like to admit . Graded prospects.

3m Chasers

Test of Faith

Sire Great White Hope – In the league team
Dam The Spice Of Life – Good trialling breeding mare

The pick of my 3m chasers, who is decent enough down to 2.4m. Tends to hang just off the leading group and likes to challenge early. And for a change ‘Nick Somerville’ is not his sire, that role belongs to the mighty ‘Great White Hope’ who I think will be a league star, he however was sired by ‘Nick Somerville’ so there is not escaping him just yet. Dam spice of life also held a place for a time on the trial sheets. Gold Cup in mind. Graded challenger.

When the Demon Comes

Sire Saving Private Ryan – Ran in the exhibitions, just missed a team slot
Dam Why Is The Rum Gone – Homebred breeding mare

Top class novice who can run down to 2.4m reasonably efficiently, hangs just off the pace and usually challenges early. And for once I can proudly announce that ‘Nick Somerville’ had absolutely nothing to do with his breeding……….one the sires side. The dam however is one generation removed and though she failed to realise her potential this chap did so in spades. Graded challenger with the RSA in mind.

Great White Hope

Sire Nick Somerville – Breeding god
Dam Dawns Prudence – Homebred breeding mare.

My favourite horse, I liked him so much as a yearling that I named him after a horse from the SO6 days before I started winning things, but who brought me one of my early tastes of success. Holds up just off the pace and challenges early with the speed and stamina to usually make it stick. Runs up to 3.4m and will be in the mix for the Gold Cup like Test of Faith above. Graded Challenger.

Hope Springs Eternal

Sire Great White Hope – In the team
Dam All Looks Good – In the team

Has real trial pedigree this chap and marks my 4th best 3m chaser but you can split all four by a piece of paper at trial. Same sort of run style as the rest of the team, hold up with an early challenge. Will also be thinking RSA, stays up to 3.4m too. Graded prospects.

Nickerbocker Glory

Sire Nick Somerville – Just get down on your knees and worship him
Dam Java Java Java – Homebred breeding mare

At this point I have nothing else much to say, yes I am bored of mentioning that sodding NS who once again is the sire responsible for this 3.4m chaser. He used to top my 3m trials until the most recent generation of breeding, but holds firm at the longer distances up to 3.6m. Graded prospects

4m Chasers

National Pastime

Sire National Crisis – Ran 10th in the promo national
Dam Hairstyle Rambler – Homebred breeding mare

No2 of my two National contenders and the one most likely to be favourably handicapped. Is a pure hold up sort which is not ideal. Not gotten a certain Mr Somerville to stick in my 4m breeding…..yet . Handicapper in the purest sense.

The National Awaits

Sire National Crisis - Ran 10th in the promo national
Dam Hidden Potential - Homebred front running breeding mare

Arrived in my most recent generation of breeding and is about to take himself off to stud. At last a front running 4m horse, have always wanted one of them. Blows away everything else I have in trial by several lengths. National is the intention if not too badly weighted, Paul Moores also in mind. Graded class.

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Josh great write up but u wrong about one thing , Aintree is better than the festival

It’s too far, and I like my car wheels exactly where they are