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 My current save - manual training. 
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Post My current save - manual training.
Harry mentioned it might be a good idea, so I thought, why not.

I am currently in Nov 2022 in my game, told you I play very slowly.

I have 89 horses as of today in the stable ; 39 predominantly Jumps horses, and 50 on the flat. Of the 50 flat horses, 18 are 2 year olds, 30 are 3 year olds and I have 12 that are 4 yr old and up.

25 mares in the barn and 23 yearlings.

This current season I won both The Derby and The Oaks with horses that I had purchased from auction. The Derby winner has struggled to reproduce the same level of form as he now needs further than a mile and a half, a common trait with Derby & Oaks winners. The filly has run at about the same level, but again a mile and a half is her bare minimum now, so even with challenge earlier set in jockey orders and moving one spot up on the jockey orders, so, if normally 'hold up' use 'slight hold up' etc she is still staying on late and just getting beat, though she did win the Lancashire Oaks.

I have pruned once or twice, but there are horses that should be let go of but I have become attached to them, and am sure I can get them to realise their potential eventually. I do struggle however with the theory that you should keep horses as they may mature at 5 or 6, that is too late for me and way too long to have patience for. The older horses I have are ones I have bought at auction and appear worth keeping.

I have £212 million in the bank courtesy of a reversed forecast of two long priced horses achieved with no cheating. It is relatively easy to spot two horses in a handicap that are priced up way too long in the betting, usually they have been running in much better class races and getting beat and then they drop into a handicap. Pair two of these together and put 20 or 30 maximum stake reversed forecasts on and if you win with say 2 66/1 chances, or thereabouts you get a couple of hundred million in winnings. It's not cheating, but, it's also way too generous of the game as these horses wouldn't normally be those prices. It takes a little trial and error to spot the right races, but, when you do, it takes money out of the game equation.


Wed Jul 01, 2020 3:52 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Great stuff neves_rats. Interesting to see how another player operates. Keep adding developments maybe ? I just think it will be a boon to newer players to pick up hints from established trainers, and if more people are prepared to add their own saves to this post we could have a real in depth catalogue of methods used.

Here is my save as of about thirty minutes ago. I am at August 2036, off the back of my most competitive flat racing summer, and now declaring for my early jump races. I have 156 horses in my race yard which includes 20 or so 2yo that are milers to 1m 4f, or future jumpers and I am still watching their stats to decide if I keep them or not. 110 of those 156 are NH and include at least 30 that I intend to sell or retire. Generally speaking I have far too many ageing horses right now so I doubt I will equal my NH success of last season when I finished as champion trainer. My horse numbers are far too high at present - a result of my attempt to breed more, which was a successful exercise as I am currently leading the flat trainers table (but don't expect to stay there). I currently have 104 breeding mares with 88 of them in foal. I have in recent seasons sold many 2yo that I don't think good enough but with £115 million in the bank my intention going forwards is to simply take those I don't want out of the game, rather than sell them for £1.2million and then watch them beat me on the racecourse.

Big race wins have eluded me so far but I have won group 2 and 3 races with horses I have bred. I have made many huge mistakes along the way as I know nothing about horse racing or gambling. My money bank is a result of selling horses and placing £1000 each way bets on long priced runners ante post. In the last few seasons I have done no betting. My ambition for the next twelve months is to prune my race yard by 40 to 50%, bring through a few 5/6 yo that show promise as jumpers, and nudge my breeding results up a bit next April. I still find breeding a mystery so I am having to experiment and watch the outcomes. But I have over the seasons been able to breed a number of horses that are winners at C2 level and won decent money.


Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:45 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
My manual training approach...

Here's most of my current stable. First (It took my dumb self forever to figure this out) sort your horses by "Next Dec." - so they are at the top. This cuts down on scrolling around for the next horse to change training or enter races. I've modded the skin of my game so that's why it looks different.

1. When my horse is ready for a race I look for one 21 to 28 days in the future. 2. I set the training to medium (orange). I keep it at medium until 14 days out from the race. 3. At 14 days out I set the training to high (red). It stays there until the day of the race where I then set it to blue. 4. After a race I give my horses 21 days off and then check their condition - although lately I've adopted a 28 days off approach because I want fully rested horses when I train them back up for export for possible league aspirations. I like my horses condition bar to be full or almost full before I train them again. My rest periods and training schedules are based on weekly measurements ie 7,14,21,28 days and so on. 5. After a race and you set your horse to rest, also check to see if it needs any special training - Agility or Starting. If either of these are at Very Poor, Poor or Average -- set the special training. Over time almost all horse will improve in special training. A rare few never seem to improve.

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Wed Jul 01, 2020 6:47 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Thanks siriuschill - very interesting. I think I kind of have the same training patterns, without necessarily realising it. But you seem to be more aware of meaningful rest periods which I certainly am not. When you then combine this with special training it must make a difference. I guess the training adaptation bar in the hidden stats tells you which horses to persevere with and which horses simply will not develop through any sort of training programme. I know one thing - I need fewer horses to deal with so I can give each more individual attention. Great stuff !


Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:01 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Helpful....much appreciated. Hope to see more of these.


Thu Jul 02, 2020 3:45 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Still plodding along in my slow style. Just had the Cheltenham Festival March 2023. I now am back up to 115 horses now my 2 year olds have joined the stable. Shall prune at some point but very hard to get rid of horses that you've nurtured.

Went into Cheltenham with 17 runners and hopes for maybe 3 or 4 winners if I was lucky. Alas luck was not on my side - results were:-

3rd Supreme Novices Hurdle, 9th JLT Handicap Chase, 3rd & 4th Baring Novices Hurdle, 11th RSA Chase, 14th Coral Cup Hcp Hdl, 7th & 17th Pertemps Final Hcp Hdl, 18th Kim Muir Hcp Chase

3rd & 7th Triumph Hurdle, 13th & 20th County Hurdle (Hcp), WON[b][/b] SPA Novices Hurdle, 7th Cheltenham Gold Cup, 10th & 23rd Martin Pipe Hcp Hdl

Kind of disappointed, but also glad I got a winner. Would have been wholly unrealistic to have won a hatful so glad that didn't happen, and the near misses mean I have some progressive horses who might do better as time goes by. The 2 runners in the County Hurdle were hugely disappointing as they had both got decent form in graded handicaps, an odd win here and there and some placed form, so to finish so far down was unexpected, but again, that's racing. Shall have a look to see which are going to be good enough and fit enough to go to the Aintree meeting.

Any comments on this set of Festival results and how they appear in the context of the game would be fun to discuss

My stable is currently maybe 50 jumps horses (some dual purpose in there) and the remainder flat horses.

I am currently really enjoying the game (the gripes I have over the schedule not withstanding) and the races at Cheltenham were filled with quality horses with few stocking fillers, so that side is progressing nicely.


Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:00 am
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Very interesting what you say about being a bit glad you didn't sweep the board at Cheltenham - you mean in the interests of realism I'm guessing. I often have the same emotions. I would be very unhappy if the game was as easy as simply entering horses into races. As you say, your results were very mixed. When you race each horse again at a similar level you will be able to gauge which ones might go on, and which ones need to go down a grade. For me that's the fascination of SO7 and this micro management is the reason why I find it so hard to get rid of horses even when I know they have had it. Cheltenham festival is of course full of good horses (as Aintree will also be) and I would have said even one winner represents good progress. You may look back in time and decide 14 of the 17 runners were not of Cheltenham standard - but that's the learning curve when deciding a horse's true value. Also take into account the going over the three days in question because even without knowing your horses, I can safely say it would not have suited all 17 horses.

Great that you have posted to this thread again. In the last six weeks I have moved on exactly two years to August 2038. I will post an update shortly regarding my progress (and deterioration) in that time. Also my disgraceful performance in cutting back on numbers - an area I have failed in miserably. But like you, continue to play many hours with enjoyment - apart from schedule gripes !


Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:40 am
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
In the last six weeks (in real time) I have completed another two seasons, taking me to August 2038 and I am about to start the next UK jumps season.

I have moved my stable on in this period for sure, winning a few of the better races, and also picking up lots of good money with wins and places at C2 and C3 level. Aymard Perficio, a horse I bought at auction for £40k, has won the Liverpool Hurdle in 2037 and 38, and the World Hurdle also in 38. Other horses have won the HBLB Handicap Chase, Imperial Cup, and Peter Marsh Chase. Perhaps best of all was finishing second in the 2038 Grand National with Fishfingers, one of the earliest horses I bred. He was really ordinary until 7yo, but I don’t take horses out of the game easily so just plodded on with him. He started to get some good places at 8yo and 9yo, always running gamely. In 2038 I rested him all winter and in early Spring he ran third in the National Trial. So I put him into the big one as a result of that. Now 10yo he ran a typical race, working his way through the field, and missed out by just a short head in the end. It felt as good as winning tbh. The moral here is to just keep going with some horses – you just never know.

On the flat, two homebreds (Rum Diamond and Lowestoft Legend) have won well at 2yo/3yo and scooped up over £850k between them. A few others have also returned over £75k, all from the breeding barn. So yes, overall, in jumps and flat, things have moved on nicely.

My failure has been on stable size because I really wanted to get down to more manageable numbers and have failed abjectly on that front. Part of the reason is that I have organised my mind in such a way that I have coped ok with loads of horses – over 450 currently if you include breeding barns, yearlings and 2yo under development. The other reason I have not culled is that I have been experimenting with lowest potential from which you can get a decent horse on the track. In 2037 I kept 25 horses from the barn to try on the flat. A couple have been really good, a couple appalling. The others have been just ok – winning between £65k and £25k as 2yo and 3yo, but I think I now have a rough idea of what the potential bar gives you. My next experiment is to try around a dozen of those horses over hurdles as 3yo and 4yo and will be happy if two or three make the grade.

Breeding results in 2037 and 2038 were vastly different. As I said, in 2037 I kept 25 just for flat racing. In 2038 only three had comparable potential, and I didn’t expect any of the three to even reach £25k in winnings. Which they haven’t! Better news is my 127 yearlings include some really good lookers, so we will see what happens there.

I have decided to keep breeding lots of horses going forward, but using more of my own stallions rather than the game stallions, which often disappoint. I have also decided as a result of my 2037 experiment to generally only race 2yo and 3yo on the flat. Persevering with 5yo plus horses just to see them regularly beaten at C2 and C3 (or occasionally winning peanuts), holds no charm for me anymore, so I will just be keeping the best 2yo’s from now on and sell, sell, sell the rest. I am sure plenty of horses with 80% potential that return less than £20k winnings for me, will go on to win £250k for the computer trainers. But if I bank £1.2million each time I guess I have the last laugh.

I intend to keep buying 5yo and 6yo jumpers/hurdlers at auction occasionally as I have done well by that over the years. I will also keep a few hopeless homebreds and run them in sellers and claimers until they drop. That is the heart of SO7 for me.

I have been better at retiring horses from the game even if my stable numbers are not yet showing that to be the case. One problem I have had is that once taken out of the game the horse is soon forgotten and it is a shame that such horses do not show on the past horses tab so you can look back on them. I have started taking screenshots before they go, which I have filed in a picture folder under various headings from Legends down to Rogues Gallery with plenty in between. I went right back to 2022 using my writing pads to remember all the horses I had owned and sold. It has made it easier for me to take horses out of the game. Daft I know, but that’s just the way I am wired.

I will be happy with more of the same in the 2038-39 NH season. The breeding operation should only get better with the good flat horses I have produced going in. I just have to drive standards up by being much more selective in what I keep. If I fail it will be because I have thought of another experiment to work through.

Hope all this nonsense might help a few of the newer players and get them thinking about playing styles. Would be great to see more people adding to this thread with their own experiences. I am sure we can all learn from each other.


Fri Aug 14, 2020 2:57 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Adding my own post to this thread. Not because I have anything of real value to add, given I’ve just completed my first season, but more so to keep the thread active in hopes of sparking further discussion in a forum that could certainly use far more of it.

Playing US flats, I consider my first go round a success, even if the numbers don’t support the claim. Running from 15-25 horses, mostly two and three year olds handicappers, I finished just mid pack as the 31st ranked trainer, earning $4.6M, while winning 92 of 187 races for a win percentage of 49%. Maybe a bit misleading, as I only captured two G2’s, six G3’s, and my top rated horse finished a modest 16th in the two year old division. King of class 2 handicaps, I struggled to win spotlight events. But numbers aren’t everything, particularly for a first toe dip in an unfamiliar simulation. Success comes in the form of learning the mechanics of the game and rolling with the nuance. That’s not to say I’ve mastered it. Far from it, as evidenced by my repeated failures to achieve peak fitness before races, but I feel far more in control as I transition to season two.

I’m a bit of a plodder and much prefer it that way, having taken nearly seven weeks to complete my initial season. Some days I only complete two or three dates. I’m always seeking immersion so I often view races that don’t include my horses, particularly the prestigious ones. I routinely scan trainer/horse rankings and frequently take deep dives into the form book for history as well as intel. The immersion is one aspect of SO7 I find perfunctory and somewhat lacking, but that’s for another post.

I’m anxious to see what season two will bring as my operation expands in both size and expectations. My now 4 year old colts and fillies, the backbone of my limited success, who captured many class 2 victories will lose their weight exemptions and be forced to compete on even terms with the older horses while giving weight to 3 year old up and comers. Hoping at least a few can move beyond the confines of the handicap division and prove themselves competitive at the stakes level. None of my now three year olds are destined for the Triple Crown series, but I have fingers crossed that two, maybe three will nibble around the edges of the stakes schedule by season’s end. The nine yearlings I purchased will bring neither fame nor fortune to the stable. One or two have the look of top handicappers, two others may rise to the level of mediocrity, and the remainder have stable pony in their future. My first year crop of foals, 19 in total, has a bit more promise, but not enough to give any of the virtual trainers pause. This isn’t surprising, when you consider most of my broodmares are auction bargains sent immediately to the breeding barn with nothing to suggest they had anything to offer from their side of the genetic mix. All in all I’m quite fond of this game and find that it dominates my precious little free time. So much so that my beloved baseball and tactical war sims are now gathering dust on my desktop hard drive.

Future Black Doodle Farm news lead and bonus unrelated post:
Tall, grey not tan, young and lovely, Girl From Ipanema, sophomore daughter of 2020 Horse of the Year Sinatramania, cruised to victory, eliciting a collective aaahhhh from everyone as she past by.

Twist of irony and second bonus unrelated post:
Bought a horse at auction without the benefit of my readers and when I later donned them to review his ratings, I discovered my prospect was missing something…..physically. My ancient eyes could make out the blue swirl, but apparently not the microscopic letter within. I had purchased an eunuch for $300,000. Expletive deleted! Actually became one of my better moves. He’s won 10 of 13, earned back 75% of his purchase price, and has become my favorite pixel equine.

Good racing, all!


Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:09 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Keep the updates coming marklater ! And yes, the forum does need more posts like yours.

I would say your world is looking quite dandy, early on. But you are right to half prepare yourself for a fall in the next season. I know nothing about US flat racing (I know pretty much nothing about horse racing, full stop), but certainly in my UK flat game, 2yo and 3yo often dip after early promise, with a few catching up, going in the other direction, and becoming a nice surprise. I have read this is actually quite typical of real horse racing, but it took a while for me to get used to the idea.

I think I average about 5 hours a day on SO7 - since lockdown and before. Strategy games are my main hobby these days and I have left most of my other long time playing titles behind for now, preferring SO7. As I said in my earlier post, I run so many horses right now that it does take an age to organise training and breeding, and finding suitable races to enter. A season is currently taking four weeks of my time but that is of course flat and jumps. I seem to remember in the early days (probably up to about season 6) one season took only seven days - before I had a breeding barn and was running only 30-40 horses.

I'm in my 19th season now and I think in that time I have only bought a couple of yearlings - both poor and I re-sold them at a profit as 2yo. If you keep on with this tactic, I will be interested to know if it eventually reaps reward. I work on the assumption that no trainer (real or AI) throws out a good horse at that age. I normally only sell young horses as unraced 2yo, but when I have auctioned a yearling it has been really poor. But keep me informed if you will, as I may be missing a trick.

I've never bought a gelded horse by mistake, not yet anyway. But I have missed 'excitable' a couple of times and I really struggle with crazy horses. And I have given a filly a name more suitable to a colt - but I swear to this day the game changed the gender of the horse at 3yo !! That's my way out, anyway.

Post again if you can - perhaps others will join us, neves_rats and SiriusChill. It really is good to hear how others play the game.


Sun Aug 16, 2020 9:21 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
This is how i play the game.Iam using the start it mod,as i think the game in vanilla state is lacking,but i still love the series.Imust stress i play at a very slow pace,every jan 1st i rename all 2 y o so i get a connection with other horses from the get go,i play 6 player game,in a role type game,stable 1 is godolphin,using the blue silks and using the alt ctrl del facility to get the big money in the bank,stable 2 is coolmore using the australia ,gleneagles silks,this is where my breeding side,buying mares and selling 2 yo who dont look up to it,following horses who win g1,using the note facility,stable 3 is o brien using the tabor colors its like a sister stable to the coolmore operation,where i send my horses who look good on paper ie stats wise,won the oaks,yorkshire oaks,runner up in irish equivelant,and finally runner up in the arc with a high maturity bar agoing to continue running as a 4 yo,cant wait to breed off her,stable 4 is wragg stable using the moller silks,this is where i concentrate on early 2 y o and sprinters,any good ones come through godolphin waiting in the wings with there big cheque book,my flagship horses i named teenoso and most welcome,im a sucker for the old favs,stable 5 is cecil stable,using abdullah silks,where i follow all the classic winners,still use breeding but intent on breeding classic winners,not got there yet as the o brien monopoly has got the 1st classic winner,stable 6 stoute stable,where i follow all older horses and international horses using the conduit silks,i go more for long distance horses,using this stable i try and name all the horses idividually you get attached to them,and i follow hundreds of horses its a very slow paced way of playing but very addictive i also have other slots where i have used the transfer option especially to get going,hopefully i can do something similiar with a jumps save,but thats how i play,seeing that people are posting,and i do enjoy reading how other people play,thanks for reading.
:D


Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:40 am
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Not sure I follow. You manage six different stables via six distinct saves and transfer horses between them? Or you manage six different stables within the same save? i didn't think the latter was possible.

I also use the Start It mod and I rename all yearlings, mine and otherwise that I don't find acceptable.


Mon Aug 17, 2020 1:16 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
yes 1 save 6 stables,i have other saves playing as 1 stable,but my main save is 6 player game it takes some juggling but its veery enjoyable.


Mon Aug 17, 2020 2:07 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Wow, what a wicked way to play. Not sure I would be able to keep up with it all ! As long as you enjoy it then well done, and I'm sure it might plant an idea into other peoples heads.

Must admit some of the AI names are truly horrible - but then I wouldn't want too many more common names taken up that I might want to use myself. How on earth do you come up with enough names if you make so many changes ? I really struggle sometimes when it comes to simply re-naming my own horses - let alone lots of others on top of that. It really is important to choose names you can live with lol.............I have occasionally disliked a horse because I later didn't like the name I gave it.

I used to re-name all the yearlings I thought I might keep straight away. More recently I give them new names just before they race as 2yo or in the case of jumpers just before they turn three.


Mon Aug 17, 2020 4:37 pm
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Post Re: My current save - manual training.
If I rename horses, and I haven't in my current save, then I use music artists and their album and song titles and/or movie titles and actors. One year of new 2 year olds named after favourite Manchester United players. As I said though, I just keep the PC names now.


Tue Aug 18, 2020 8:42 am
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