Githyanki
Group 1 winner
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2016 4:16 pm Posts: 2315
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![Post Post](./styles/acidtech_tiger/imageset/icon_topic_latest.gif) Meet The Team - Jump. WARNING WALL OF TEXT TO FOLLOW
Jump Team
Last seasons league basically snuck up on me, I had stopped playing the game, was between houses and had my main PC in storage, when I finally noticed the league was about to start, I had two weeks and had done little more than tinker with the available game pool horses on my laptop since the revealing of the ‘bars’. So, the team was assembled from one cycle, three seasons, of hasty breeding, returning horses and those I had passed over in the previous season. And they did not do badly at all, cannot really complain about 61 wins, second in prize money and a strike rate of 18%, along with a stack of G1 wins and I missed the Aintree festival altogether. But by my own standards it was not a great season.
This season my preparation has been better, and whilst it remains true that I have put more time into my new flat game, I have still crunched through my NH seasons and tried to work on developing my lines. As of right now and indeed in respects of the team entered it is still largely a work in progress. And let’s be honest I’ll have lost interest in the flat after a couple of weeks. I am still a NH trainer at heart.
What the opening of the ‘bars’ showed me was how terrible, on paper at least, my current horses were. Hardly a cruise above 40% anywhere, speed in the 60% and 70% range, low confidence and terrible consistency and finish application especially in my chasers, all things I consider important. So, I spent time gathering from the game pool the best it had to offer and have been basically trying to uplift these core elements whilst not damaging things like potential and enthusiasm in the process, the basic mix of trial form and visual ‘bars’.
I have now exhausted my game options but within my breeding I have generally better bars, speed was hard but I did find around 5% more in most lines, cruise I have improved between 15-20%, the higher end for my chasers, consistency and finish are maxed and confidence is up generally. What I have yet to do is get the highest available values all in the same place with potential etc in any sort of volume, I have achieved this in some lines and with some horses, but keeping it and making it the norm is proving difficult since the game does its level best to degrade you along the way.
But where I have made improvements as often as not, I have lost them again with the horse dying in breeding without ever having created its equal. There are a few lines right now tittering on the brink of being lost entirely with various recreation plans underway. I have also found I am battling with potential decline since adding in certain elements, mainly cruise, so lines that consistently hit 100% at 7yo or 8yo are now falling short and my total carry through percentage on breeding to trial is probably no more than 10%-15%.
Generally, I think I have improved across the board by taking the improved visuals and mixing them with my original trial successful lines, and when this has gone right, it has really gone right. At the very least I have stood still, which I consider to be an achievement in itself when breeding for the league.
So, the team is a mixture of trial types, top end ‘bar’ types and horses somewhere between the two, leaning more towards the ‘bar’ bred horses. And with a game that is now 120 seasons old and knowing there is nothing left in it I have not found and exploited my performance this season will really decide for me if I need to start again in the same way I have on the flat, though I know I can also squeeze a little more out of it yet.
Hurdlers
2m Juvenile Hurdler
Since I play a NH only game, more horses do not mature in the same way as those playing the combined game, thus my 4yo horses are very immature and not very good so my juveniles have always been produced from my flat games and historically the horses from my old Australian game have not been very good. Now with my new US flat game I have seen an uplift and this includes my juvenile hurdlers. Whether they are good enough to compete with the top tier from the combined format remains to be seen. Overall, this area has improved.
Likes It Like That
Sire Likes It Dirty Dam Gentian Fields
The breeding of this filly does not really matter in context of my NH team, being from my US flat team. For those of you who read the flat team write up, her breeding does include a number of familiar names. Her sire is from the ‘Skint’ potential line and the Dam is from the cruise line, one generation from the original of what was ‘The Beast’ line. Largely a hold up type she possesses a decent turn of foot and is solid over the hurdles, but does not benefit from my usual manual jump training. This is also a little quirky, hence the noseband. Hopefully will mark an upturn in my juvenile hurdling fortunes, with more work to be done.
2m Hurdlers
This is an area I have always been slightly off pace; I tend to think in part due to the advantage the combined games have in utilising flat horses, anyway as a result I have been working really hard on my 2m hurdlers to see if I can close the gap. Of the 14 horses on my trial sheet all but one are now from the new generation of ‘bar’ breeding, though I have had limited success in getting the best available bars into successful trial horses, only one so far and he is ranted 12th of the 12. But I take this as a positive sign since he was the first of his kind, the second and third I created never reached potential but they have in turn breed five more who are in training as we speak. In terms of what’s in the league team overall I think this area will show some improvement and ‘She Is Still Lost’ may actually be a little bit special, whether it is enough to catch Leon and David remains to be seen and the Champion Hurdle remains about the only major G1 race that still eludes me.
Spectacle of Monsters
Sire Monster Hunter Dam Spectacle
Solid sort who does his best work on better ground, usually likes to run just off the pace and challenge in the last 4-6f. Sired by the first of my top end bar horses who was himself still a little flawed by failing potential, this breed largely corrected the flaws but lost some of the bars in the process. Further back in the lineage you can find two-time G1 winning hurdler ‘Dominion Of Darkness’ who claimed both the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Fighting Fifth. The Dam who is also in the league team and is written up below, has similar breeding with an extended lineage that includes the winner of the G1 Long Walk hurdle ‘Man of Manners’. Graded Class
She Is Still Lost
Sire Lost To The Horizon Dam Breed Hurd Two
She is my great hope for the Champion Hurdle if she gets the right ground, doing her best work on the soft and heavy, else she falls behind spectacle above on better ground. Another who likes to sit just off the pace often restrained early but will start her challenge around the midway point as a rule. Sired by fellow league team member ‘Lost To The Horizon’ who was an early bar bred horse who fell well short of the best available but trials consistently well. Dam is a breed mare with a sprinkle of a gamebred in her line, though one produced from my own bar breeding programme. Two-time G1 winner ‘Dominion of Darkness’ can be found on both sides of the extended lineage. Graded Class
Lost To The Horizon
Sire Cruise Hurd Breeder Dam Chirouble Diamonds
Been on my trial sheets for while now, being one of the early bred horses from my bar breeding programme. Has always been in the top four at trial and until recently ruled the roost. Show on all goings but does his best work on the soft. And again, tend to run just off the pace, challenges later than I would like so often a solid ew bet. Sire is my original cruise breeder for two-mile hurdlers and started pretty much all of my current 2m lines, two generations from the game source. Dam is a pure original pre bar breed mare, one generation removed again from G1 winner ‘Dominion Of Darkness’, who along with ‘Man of Manners’ also features on the side of the sire in the extended line. Lower Graded class.
Spectacle
Sire Cruise Hurd Breeder Dam Spectacular
Heavy ground loving sort who is consistent at trial but does not fare well on the better goings. Also lacks some of the finer details in the bars so she can be inconsistent and lazy in the finish. Another who likes to stay of the pace, but usually challenges early enough. Sire is written up above and includes the usual suspects in my hurdle lines. Dam is a failed league horse from season 12 and connects back to the now largely wound up ‘Kingdom’ lines, ‘Dominion of Darkness’ is in there too. Graded class on the right ground.
Shapeshifter
Sire Spectacle Of Monsters Dam Guydus Keep
Rates 5th or 6th in my hurdle trials and shows better on good ground, but is really in as a NHF horse where she is more consistent over a range of goings. Again, a hold up type as is the way with my 2m lines but will on occasion set the pace if nothing else does. Sire is also in the league team and detailed above. Dam is a speed breeding mare who has a range of extended lineages drawing from 2.4m and 3m hurdle lines and of course two times G1 winner ‘Dominion of Darkness’ has a hand in her also. NHF type. Handicapper on the hurdles.
2.4m Hurdlers
My 2.4m hurdlers have always been largely competitive, never the best and never really dominant but capable of competing at the highest level. Within this generation of breeding, they were the first hurdling division to nail on the bar and trial combination through a horse called ‘Emotional Pain’ and again all but one of my 12 trial keepers are from this bar breeding line. But this is a line in decline now, emotional pain bred a lot of horses, indeed he has sired my entire team for this league buy he died without ever breeding his equal, least in a colt, and I put too much reliance on him doing so that the line now is reliant on mares and less capable colts. I have more recently been trying to create something new with my 2m and 3m hurdlers but it is work in progress. For this season at least this group marks an improvement on those I have had before but the margin is probably small.
Emotional Pain
Sire Purgatory Dam Clanachy Fois
The product of some experimental breeding and is essentially a hybrid line, so hurdle and chase mixed, something I am not frequently a fan of since it usually takes a couple of generations to land them, but something that can occasionally lead to breakthroughs. Adopts a more forward running style from the chase side of the line, but not typically a front runner as such, usually likes to sit in the top four and challenge early. Fast jumper and has been highly productive in my breeding. Sire is the hybrid, well two generations removed from the original 3m chase ‘bar’ cruise line that also produced last season’s 3x G1 winning chaser ‘The Broken One’ the mix was into my 3m hurdle lines more specifically G1 Long walk hurdle winner ‘Man Of Manners’ line who had a habit of breeding down from his race distance. Dam is a really old line from my pre bar breeding horses, with an extended lineage that includes league winners from season 10 and 11 over 2.4m hurdles. Graded Class.
Fear Of The Clown
Sire Emotional Pain Dam Clowning About
Recently bred horse from two of my most successful trial horses. And on her day can be every bit as good as her sire ‘Emotional Pain’. Sire is written up in detail above. Dam is more interesting with a line that breaks the trend to this point and is a mix of another 3m hurdle and 2m hurdle line. League pedigree here comes two generations back in the form of last season’s G1 Hatton Grace winner ‘Delightful’, and the bar aspect is also from another different game source. Graded Class with an eye on the Mares Hurdle.
Running Hot
Sire Emotional Pain Dam Getting Warmer
Rolled off the production line just before the league started, bred only due to the delay in start date. Very much a good ground horse but he is a shadow of both his sire and dam, managing to get the best of neither. But he trials well and still might be a solid league horse. Has a just off pace run style and will occasionally make the pace if nothing else does. Sire is written up above. Dam is again a variation line with a few league winners in the extended line, but nothing in the top G1 tier, least not within the last 5 generations. Handicapper maybe lower Graded class.
Glorious Pain
Sire Emotional Pain Dam Nation Of Magic
The second of my two novices and the stronger of the two, got the very best of the bars from her sire ‘Emotional Pain’ and adopted his running style too. Not quite at his level but beats him on better goings, and there is little between them really. Dam draws from the same hybrid line that also produced ‘Emotional Pain’ but it is further removed, the more recent lineage draws from a failed 2m line that breed higher than its race distance, ‘Man of Manners’ and ‘Dominion of Darkness’ can be found if you go back far enough. Graded Class.
Feel Your Pain
Sire Emotional Pain Dam Mormoran Perla
Has the honour of being horse no30 in my team, but don’t let that fool you, he is no mug, really in as he has more upper range than the rest of my 2.4m hurdlers and will produce the goods up to 2.6m. Consistent on all goings and is typical of my mid-range hurdlers in that he likes to race just behind the pace and challenge over the last half mile. Fast jumper too. Sire is the same as everything else in this division. Dam is where he gets his range and is a 3m hybrid hurdling line that includes G1 winner ‘Man of Manners’ and the hybrid is from 3x G1 winning chaser ‘The Broken One’. Lower Graded class, needs 2.5 or 2.6m ideally.
3m Hurdlers
In the early so7 leagues my 3m hurdlers were right up there and highly competitive, more recently they have fallen away a little and Leon’s horses have been better. For this league all 10 of the trial keepers are from the bar breeding lines, and recently breed ‘Judge Dredd’ is the new standard barer having the best of the bars and being in the top four at trial, he has also been a highly successful breeder and there are number of like horses who are not in training. His line is probably not going to be the best of those I have in the league, least not yet, but overall, my 3m hurdlers should be better for this season and likely back competing for top honours, the future also looks bright for this division.
Dance Around The Stars
Sire Dance Of The Demons Dam Abigaila Tears
Has been my top performing three-mile hurdler for the last few breeding cycles, though the margin between her and ‘Dance of the Animals’ is really small. Fast jumper and largely running a hold up style with an early challenge. Sire was in the league team last season and one 3 league races up to G1, the extended breeding is a mix of 3m and 2m bar breeding which also includes ‘Man of Manners’. Dam is a breeding mare two generations removed again from G1 winner ‘Man of Manners’ and the hybrid bar line responsible for 3x G1 winning chaser ‘The Broken One’, though he is himself absent from the breed. She also has a full sister who is just as good but had to be passed over for this season’s league. Graded class
Judge Dredd
Sire Breed World Expo Dam Dance Around The Stars
Very important horse for my stables as prior to his arrival I was in danger losing my 3m hurdle line altogether, and up to his arrival I had failed to achieve the top end of my available bars. Indeed, he was really created from the 2.4m lines after multiple attempts to enhance directly from my 3m stock, well sort of. Off the pace run style but can on occasion make the pace, but he is not the best of the bunch despite his impressive visuals. His sire is a stud breed, one generation removed from ‘Emotional Pain’ with the other side of the breed being fellow league horse ‘Dance of The Animals’ who brought the best of ‘Emotional Pain’ up to 3 miles, failed to realise potential directly but did a good job of breeding on. Dam is also top class and is written up above. Has since bred a large number of like 3 hurdlers and totally rekindled the line. Graded Class.
Dance Of The Animals
Sire Animal Instincts Dam Dance To The Moon
Probably the best and most consistent of my 3m hurdlers, though a little off the best on paper, and also one of the few who also likes to front run, though it is not an absolute style. Very comfortable on all goings and really only challenged by ‘Dance Around The Stars’ and her full sister ‘Dance To The Moon’ at trial, and I mention the latter since she was also part of the breed here which gives context. Sire was the 3m hurdle line that was almost lost and links to the hybrid cruise chase line that produced 3xG1 winner ‘The Broken One’ but you can also find ‘Man of Manners’ and ‘Dance of the Demons’ in the extended line. Dam has exactly the same breeding as ‘Dance Around The Stars’ and is just as good too, only missed out on the team by a flip of a coin and will be saved for another year maybe. Graded Class
Why In The World
Sire World Of Purgatory Dam Control Your Thoughts
Really lands somewhere between 5th and 7th on my trial sheets, and only made the team due to a full sister class with ‘Dance Around the Stars’. Best on soft ground, but also comfortable on Heavy, no fan of much better than that. Off the pace run style but a fast and solid jumper, may see some time over fences too. Sire is an early bar bred horse and a line that is only kept alive now by mares, draws from ‘Man of Manners’ once again and the same hybrid line that produced ‘The Broken One’, Dam is from the 2.4m hurdling lines, two generations removed from ‘Emotional Pain’ with last seasons G1 winner ‘Dance of The Demons’ providing the uplift to 3 miles. Low Graded class, handicap w if chasing.
Chasers
2m Chasers
For a very long time my 2m chasers have been my standard bearers and consistently my most reliable horses I would almost go as far to say dominant in the league. It therefore saddens me greatly to recognise that this section of my team has not really improved at all. There are still two horses from my previous breeding, pre bars, and they rate 4th and 5th of the 14 I have kept. Visually my breeding is better, but this has not really played out in trial and since the best of my bar progression started in 3m chasers it has proven difficult to work this into my 2m lines. The small ray of hope comes from a horse called ‘The Mighty Mouse’ but in a moment of madness I got rid of him due to his small build status, I did however keep some of his bred mares and one of these has breed a breeding stud who has created a couple in training now who look to have the best of both worlds. Won’t help me this season though. At best I have stood still with this section of my team and will be there to be caught now, literally since they are all still front running types.
The Mighty Mouse
Sire The Challenger Dam The Small Queen
I don’t like small build horses, especially chasers, though this one seems to be a rock-solid jumper and is regularly the top billing at trial. I am not sure if that’s because he is genuinely decent or just lacks competition in a line I simply cannot seem to move forward. And I only bred him for a couple of seasons before removing him from the game, something I have since come to regret. Front running style like most of my chasers and does seem to fight in the finish. Sired by ‘The Challenger’ a link horse between the old and new bar bred line whose extended lineage includes ‘The King’ a horse whose name you’re going to see a lot in the chase write up, who and had 6 wins over 2 seasons including two at G1, and ‘The Magician’ who had 3 G1 wins in season 11 including the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The dam is where he gets his stature from a gamebred who added cruise to the line, but both ‘The King’ and ‘The Magician’ can also be found in the extended line. Graded Class.
The Sure Thing
Sire The Dare Dam The Roadmap
She is an entirely old school breed and has nothing from the more recent bar breeding programme, her inclusion in the team denotes my lack of success in moving this line forward. She is another front running type, but won’t fight for it if something else takes up the running. Fluid jumper but lacks a real turn of foot, she just tends to stay on one paced. This is not to say there is not pedigree in the breeding. Sired by ‘The Dare’ who had four league wins up to G1 in season 12, beyond that were looking at season 11 horses with league wins but nothing special. The Dam was also a G1 winner last season whose extend lineage includes ‘The King’ and season 12’s Arkle winner ‘The Glider’. Graded challenger.
To Dare Is To Do
Sire The Dare Dam Great Two-Mile Chase Foil
Another horse who defied my expectations since he is visually a mess, I only kept him on a whim due to the breeding in the sire, but he lacks consistency and finish application in the extreme which plays out in trial. When he does get it right however, he can be very good indeed. Was also not bred much before being sold to the game rather than being binned outright but I have bred with him there in a failed effort to fix him, his line is now largely abandoned. Obviously, a front runner and on softer ground he may stay the distance more often than not. Sire is a G1 winning league horse written up above. Dam is a breed mare mix from the bar breeding cruise line and ‘The King’ Graded competitor.
The Little Women
Sire The Mighty Mouse Dam Saulty Comebacks
After having gotten rid of ‘The Mighty Mouse’ his last generation of breeding produced this mare, another small build and another flawed horse who still delivers at trial. In her case she marks an example of my potential decline and never reach maximum at maturity, but she is still a pretty solid sort and maybe productive in the league provided she avoids heavy ground. Another front running type and like her sire will actually apply herself when challenged in the closing stages. Sire is in the team and written up above, Dam is a breed mare with a little bit of hybrid breeding, though the pedigree comes from last seasons ‘The Supreme’ who has four league wins but only to G2. ‘The King’ is also in the extended line. Graded competitor.
2.4m Chasers
Got a visual uplift early and all of my trial keepers are now from my new breeding approach. Still about 5% away from my best available bars as at the time the team was selected but definite signs this group will be highly competitive. ’The Mighty’ is the leader of the pack and as an out and out front runner I am less concerned he does not quite fill out to what I have available. This said I now have two stud breeders with the missing 5% and one new horse in training who could be the next level at trial, line is generally very healthy and I think will be right in the top tier for this season.
The Mighty
Sire The Nearly One Dam The Catcus
Am rather fond of this horse, mostly as he has had a hand in a lot of my successful breeding, though oddly he never really nailed it with another 2.4m stallion and has recently died in the barn at a ripe old age, instead he has gone back to type and been the horse that has uplifted my post league 2m chaser crop. He also had a hand in a potential new direction for my 3m chasers. Out and out front runner and when he does not take it on or gets beaten to the front, he is a totally different prospect, he has to set the pace to be at his best. Sire is full on bar breeding through four generations back to the source gamebred, there are horses know to me in the mix but nothing with league form. Dam is from ‘The King’ and his two-mile chase line, though you will come to note that ‘The King’ was a horse who liked to breed up in distance. Graded Class.
The End Of Time
Sire The Mighty Dam One Moment In Time
Solid front running mare, who rates around 4th or 5th in my trials but is the most consistent on multiple goings. Sired by ‘The Mighty’ who is written up above. The Dam is a from the bar breeding line that created ‘The Broken One’ but has a largely different set of component parts not as connected to ‘The’ line as most of my chase breeding. But go back far enough and you will find season 12’s Ascot Chase winning ‘The Overlord’ so there is still league pedigree in the mix. Graded Class.
The High Lord
Sire To Dare Is To Do Dam The Kings Mistress
Bred to be a 2m chaser, indeed this is an example of me trying to fix up the broken parts of ‘To Dare Is To Do’ as written up above. The fix took, but the horse carried though the longer distance integrated into the line from the side of the dam. Rated 2nd in my trials and is not far behind ‘The Mighty’ and from an entirely different line so has added variation to my breeding. Front running style as standard. Sire is detailed above. Dam has a bit of everything in her, 2m chase but not those with league form to speak of, the original 3m chase cruise gamebred or bar breeding and some hybrid cross into my 2.4 hurdle lines. Messy but the outcome after enough generations is fine and he is a high percentage breeder too. Graded class.
The Comeback King
Sire The Nearly One Dam Carnival Bennett
Consistent performer at trial and adaptable for all ground conditions but with one major flaw in his finish application. Front runner so often as not this will not come into play, but if he is caught and challenged will not really respond as you would want him too. Line ended with him for this reason in breeding. Sire is a bar bred horse and was behind a few of my 2m and 2.4m chase breeds, but there is no known league form to speak of. Dam is one generation removed from two-time G1 winner ‘The King’ and responsible for the lack of finish. Graded competitor.
3m Chasers
Since the so7 league started Leon has owned me in 3m chasing, not including ‘Amazing Grace’ and her season 11 nine win novice bonanza, but she was largely a one off. This started to change last season with the arrival of ‘The Broken One’ an incomplete horse whose returns this season tells its own story, my only returning horse, but despite his flaws he also had some of the best bits available to me so I hoped the dynamic would start to shift. Sadly, that’s probably not the case. Since my original seed bar breeders where 3m chasers it was the line that proved to be the easiest to bring forward but progression has flatlined indeed the 8you version of ‘The Broken One’ is still probably the high mark. The older generation of breeding has been washed though and all 11 of the keepers are bar bred horses. The zenith of max bars has also been achieved but the horse only trialled at 7th of the 11, so there is work and potential improvement still available to me. The line is very healthy though and I have horses in training now who may represent the next level, but too late for this team. So do not think I have improved on last year, may have even regressed, at best I have stood still which will have to do. They will probably be competitive but I am not holding out much hope of taking on Leon and his very strong 3m lines.
The Ranger
Sire The Mighty Dam The Fabric
If any of my three mile chasers are going to measure up this year it will be this horse, bred in my recent cycle which I only squeezed in as the league start was delayed, he has been very solid and consistent at trial, especially where there is cut in the ground so favours both soft and heavy going. Has to set the pace, if he lets others do it and the pace is slow, he does not have the turn of foot to really get involved, but off his own fast pace he can sometimes kill it off by the closing stages. When he is on it can be great and I hope, he is suited to the league. Sire ‘The Mighty’ is written up above as part of my 2.4m chase line and this bred was his parting gift in his last breeding season. Dam is a top-class trialling 3.4m+ chaser who really should have been included in the team, her extended lineage includes ‘The Broken One’ and a horse called ‘The Road Warrior’ a utopia bar breeder who failed as a 3m trial and breed horse but changed my game over 4 miles. Graded class……. fingers crossed.
The Broken One
Sire The Breeding Machine Dam Lola Totty
Returning horse, my only one, a little bit sentimental but still really here on merit too. Won 6 races last season three of which were G1’s and had a strike rate of 50%. Breeding marks the first generation of my bar breeding and he has been mixed up with a lot of successful line since. Sire is the original bar stud one generation removed from a gamebred. Dam is a mixed 2m and 2.4m chase breed mare, but there are no horses of note in the extended lineage. Probably still hangs on to Graded class status, but not the horse he was last season.
The Sheppard
Sire The Perfect One Dam Contiguous Shepley
Along with ‘The Ranger’ she is the pick of my 3m chasers right now, there really is very little to split them. Another solid jumping front runner and another who gets a little lost when she does not set the pace. Breeding on the sire side is one generation removed from ‘The Broken One’ with her sire having ironed out his flaws and also still holds a place on the trial sheets. Dam is a stud mare from my original 3m chase line with league pedigree from G1 winner ‘Master of Shadows’ mixed with the bar breeding behind again ‘The Broken One’. Graded class on her day.
The Gathering
Sire The Teacher Dam The Journey To Hell
Has been an also ran at trail for a few cycles now, but in my last set of trials really pushed himself into contention and I gambled this was not a one off, consistent on most goings and largely again a front running style. Sire is a mix of ‘The Broken One’ line and the ‘Master’ and also features ‘Master of Shadows’ though he ended up breeding more into my national lines than my 3m chase lines. Dam is a failed trial horse again from ‘The Broken One’ line mixed with ‘The Road Warrior’ and his perfect visuals, not that she inherited any of them. Lower graded class.
The Uncle
Sire The Python Dam Breed Three Chase
Another recent addition and a horse that I have some doubts about, beat out ‘The Fabric’ for the team slot, mostly as he showed well from 3m to 3.4m though it is the longer end of that range he will mostly be looking for. But there are not many of them on the schedule so having the range seemed like the right way to go. Time will tell. Another largely front running sort too. Sire ‘The Python’ is 7th on my trial sheets and is my uber breeder on paper. I say that but he actually has a dreadful breeding record and has just died in the barn, he did thankfully create a copy of himself in his last year of breeding so the line was not lost. Both ‘The Broken One’ and ‘The Road Warrior’ are in the extended lineage. Dam is a stud mare who has the same two horses in her line along with the Master line and ‘Master of Shadows’. Jury is out, probably lower graded class certainly in the lower end of his range.
4m Chasers
There be monsters here………really be afraid. I often speak to breeding as being an exercise of time and luck, ok with a little bit of applied logic in the mix too and my 4m chasers underline this. One of my early top bar 3m breeding horses ‘The Road Warrior’ was a flawed trialist himself and he for a long time bred flawed trialling 3m chasers, eventually I redirected him to my 4m chase breeding and magic happened with the arrival of a horse called ‘National Apocalypse’ and he’s an absolute beast, miles ahead of my old generation of horses and I am talking 8-10 lengths and they were not exactly bad. I have never seen a horse running in 2nd place ease off at the end of the race until this chap appeared since he is usually that far ahead. One season after he was created the same sire delivered a mare of about the same level who I have held back for future seasons. And Apoc himself has bred a few good ones too including the other member of this year’s team who is almost as good herself. The only slight issue has been he never quite created his equal, everything that came from him is a slightly less impressive looking horse and he has since died in the barn, so in some respects the line has declined again. But I am splitting hairs really, it’s healthy enough and he looks good for at least 2 more seasons in the league anyway. Improvement by a huge margin. Never won a National, but I have high hopes even if I know it will have to be done off top weight.
National Apocalypse
Sire The Road Warrior Dam Kiristani Peel
He is a FREAK. Utterly destroyed everything else in trial by 8-10 lengths when he first arrived and even then, it looked like he was not really trying, never seen a horse ease off whilst running second before yet my previous 4m chaser group would do so as he powered away from them in the closing stages. Has not had it all his own way more recently since I now have a half sister who is almost as good and was held back this season to give me options for next, and some of his offspring are started to look the part also. Multi national winner in game, and ages nicely until he is 11, also landed G1 chases from 3.4m. Died in the barn without ever creating his equal, but has left a legacy of plenty of breeding mares and uplifted my whole 4m chase breeding lines. Sire is a pure bar breeding horse from 3m lines and includes Betfred Bowl G1 winner ‘Dawn of The Warrior’. Dam is a stud mare from my original national line. Could very well be a GN contender even off the top weight he will almost certainly have to endure, and will probably spend most of the season sitting on his arse being rated out of the limited 4m chases on the schedule………… Star national contender, though the 4.4m G1 at Cheltenham is probably a better bet. May feature in the odd long distance G1 also.
National Faultline
Sire National Apocalypse Dam National Breeding Line
She is also a FREAK, really very little between her and her sire, does her best work at 4m+ but is good enough to be broadly competitive from around 3.6m. Also expect her to quickly be rated out of any volume of races and may well share top weight with her sire at Aintree. Sire breeding is written up above. Dam as a stud mare again uplifted from my 3m chase lines to national distance and features ‘The Broken One’ ‘Master of Shadows’ ‘The Road Warrior’ and ‘Dawn of the Warrior’ in the extended line so there is no shortage of league pedigree in the bred. National contender, will be very heavy for it.
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