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 My current save - manual training. 
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Selling plater

Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 8:17 pm
Posts: 5
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Start It 5, UK flat only schedule, easy setting
Trainer/Owner mode, auto days advance 3 years.

Goal: Mini Coolmore – to train only group winners out of broodmares I purchase

I begin by selling the five horses in my stable regardless of potential/ability. The next two/three seasons are usually spent visiting the sales looking for potential broodmares. I build my cash by backing legends and buying yearlings to sell at 2yo. £20 million is usually enough to get started. I can go through the entire first season without finding a suitable broodmare.

By the time I find suitable broodmares there is sufficient form to work out which of the game’s top stallions is capable of producing good progeny: G1 winners only, RTG minimum 125 (a little lower for sprinters and higher for stayers). Must have won/placed in a top race against older horses. Check race times in top races.

Minimum requirement for my yearlings: 75% potential, 55% realised. Speed must be at least 80 up to 1m4f. Cruising Burst and Extra Speed at least 120 combined (odd exception if potential/realised ability is very high.)

Sell unwanted colts/fillies at 2yo to maximise cash. Keep fillies for breeding if just short my minimum racing requirements. This is usually those with low realised potential.

Horse enters race training cycle 14 days before race day (17 if after long break, 10 if already fit/green)
Mon –med
Tues – med
Wed – heavy
Thurs – med
Fri – med
Sat – heavy
Sun – light

Target: to win a Classic in UK, Ireland and France within 5 years of first race.

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Tue Aug 18, 2020 11:18 am
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Handicapper

Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
Posts: 111
Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Another different style of gameplay, with very definite objectives right from the start. Brings home to me just how re-playable SO7 is.

What kind of numbers are you running with Brigadier Gerrard? That training schedule looks mustard - but must take an age to apply if you are keeping lots of horses. Though I suspect you're not because you are being very particular at an early stage - something I am pretty hopeless at.

Hopefully you will keep us up to date with your achievements going forward.


Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:32 am
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Selling plater

Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 8:17 pm
Posts: 5
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
I keep about 30 broodmares once I get the stables established. Each season produces between 3 and 8 yearlings that meet my requirements. Most are retired at the end of the 5yo campaign so I rarely have more than 20 horses at any one time.


Thu Aug 20, 2020 5:48 pm
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Handicapper

Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
Posts: 111
Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
In percentage terms that is a very good breeding return. Very interesting.


Thu Aug 20, 2020 7:43 pm
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Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:41 pm
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Location: Newburgh, Scotland
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Aintree has now been and gone so I thought I'd give an update on how horses performed after their Cheltenham exertions.

9th Anniversary 4yo Hdl - was 7th in the Triumph Hdl
5th Betway Bowl Grade 1 Chase - Was 7th in the Gold Cup
9th Silver Cross Hcp Hdl - was 14th in Coral Cup Hcp Hdl
12th Silver Cross Hcp Hdl - was 11th in RSA Nov Chase so dropped back to hurdles for Aintree but does seem to be deteriorating and does have quite a large red potential deterioration bar.
2nd Top Nov Hdl - was 3rd in Supreme Nov Hdl
3rd Sefton Nov Hdl (jumped patchy) - Had won the SPA Nov Hdl
WON Mersey Nov Hdl - was 4th in Baring Bingham Nov Hdl
3rd Mersey Nov Hdl - was 3rd Baring Bingham Nov Hdl

Also had a horse finish 19th in Grand National.

Very similar runs from the horses between the two meetings, potentially some good class novices coming through :D


Fri Aug 21, 2020 10:11 am
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Handicapper

Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
Posts: 111
Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Overall quite similar results. But you will judge each horse on an individual basis I am sure. Will be interesting to see how they perform next season. It is always difficult to measure progress of the entire stable as there are always ups and downs - and more so the slower you play.

Love the novice hurdles - one of the most enjoyable parts of SO7 for me. Have produced a few good novice hurdlers myself over the seasons but they all fell back at 5yo/6yo. But as a player who finds it hard to chop out horses, the good ones all bounced back at 7yo onwards just by persevering with them, winning at C2/C3 level. I guess these types become my favourites to be honest.


Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:30 am
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Handicapper

Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:03 am
Posts: 110
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
come·​up·​pance (kəm-ˈə-pənts): a deserved rebuke or penalty. Black Doodle Farm received its comeuppance when it sought to move its handicap stars up in class to stakes level. :shock:


Sat Aug 22, 2020 6:31 pm
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Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:41 pm
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Location: Newburgh, Scotland
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Time for another update on my combined schedule.

Just been through Royal Ascot with a decent run of results.

WON Queen Mary Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 5f for 2yo fillies (very impressive)
WON Chesham Stakes, Class 1, Listed Race, 7f for 2yo's (Impressively first time out)
WON Ribblesdale Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 12 furlongs for 3yo fillies (previously second in Oaks)
2nd Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 8f for 4yo+ fillies & mares
2nd Albany Stakes, Class 1, Group 3, 6f for 2yo fillies
2nd Ascot Gold Cup, Class 1, Group 1, 20 furlongs for 4yo+ (very unlucky, blocked at vital time, would have won with a clear run)
3rd Norfolk Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 5f for 2yo colts & geldings
3rd Queen Anne Stakes, Class 1, Group 1, 8f for 4yo+ (Won by Frankel)
3rd Hardwicke Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 12 furlongs for 4yo+
3rd Windsor Castle Stakes, Class 1, Listed Race, 5f for 2yo's
4th King Edward VII Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 12 furlongs for 3yo colts
7th Sandringham Stakes, Listed Handicap, 8f for 3yo fillies
8th Coventry Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 6f for 2yo Colts
10th Queen Mary Stakes, Class 1, Group 2, 5f for 2yo fillies
13th Royal Hunt Cup, Class 2 Handicap, 8f 4yo+
17th King George V Stakes, Class 2 Handicap, 12 furlongs for 3yo's (Disappointing run)
18th Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, Class 2 Handicap, 12 furlongs for 4yo+ (disappointing run)

A not unrealistic set of results. Rather like my jumps festival teams of runners, enough winners but not too many to make the game unrealistic.

10 runners in the first 3 with 3 winners is a fair return, could have been 4 with a clear run in the Gold Cup but that's racing.


Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:35 pm
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Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
Posts: 111
Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Since my last post I have moved my game on by another 14 months.

The 2038-39 UK NH season was my best ever in terms of winners (119 in total), despite getting no input whatsoever from my best four horses from the previous year. I knew they were getting on in age, but all four deteriorated at an appalling speed. I hate to see my favourite horses struggling to this degree so retired them to stud after just a couple of outings each. I had loads of C2 and C3 wins, and plenty of success in novice hurdles, with one 4yo colt winning five out of six. I have the best part of a dozen impressive hurdlers, all home bred, but brace myself for general disappointment from them in the next season or two. I will lightly race them and hopefully as 6yo/7yo will have a couple that go on to good things. I finished third in the Grand National with another home bred horse, a different one to the previous seasons runner up.

On the flat, I have won 11 featured races with 7 different horses, all home breds. The best win was the Dubai Golden Shaheen with £900k in winnings. I also have a 2yo that won 5 out of 5 including the King George Stakes, the Phoenix Stakes and another featured race. Another horse won the Derby Trial Stakes then finished 8th in the Derby itself - my first crack at that race. in truth the horse is better at 1f shorter so I was not too disappointed. I had another half a dozen two year old winners that may or may not progress. A couple of 3yo's improved at 4yo which was nice.

At last I have managed to get on top of yard numbers and took 140 horses out of the game, many from the breeding barn. My breeding operation now has a much better feel to it as more and more horses are home breds or purchasers that I raced and watched. Hopefully the foals delivered in April 40 will be the best yet. The 38 stock was disappointing from a NH point of view, or so it seems at this stage - maybe a few will develop. My 39 stock (yearlings) has some very interesting sorts so overall I must say the breeding tactics seems to be getting better.

My only grouse at the moment (apart from lack of races for lesser horses which doesn't look as if it will ever change) is the number of times the game crashes. Don't think I have ever known a game to have these issues for so long without a fix (not just me - check out the Steam forum). The fact these crashes occur at large meetings (and especially Aintree) makes it even worse. I continue playing SO7 despite this - but also in the knowledge that one day I will have taken enough. It is not good striving for many hours to get a good result only for the game to crash before you can save the race.


Thu Sep 17, 2020 10:07 am
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Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:41 pm
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Location: Newburgh, Scotland
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
I'll be honest, the game very very seldom crashes for me. I can't remember the last time it did. I save the game on the main Summary page by pressing 'S' every few game days just to be safe.


Thu Sep 17, 2020 10:17 am
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Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm
Posts: 111
Location: Lincolnshire, England
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
I play on Steam - and suspect that is where the problem lies, but don't know for sure.

Luckily I am very good at pressing 'S' - after every race in which I have a runner, at the end of every race day, after pairing horses for breeding, after declaring horses, after winning a good bet. None of which helps however when the game crashes straight after a race because you can't save (as far as I know) until the next race card appears after the jockey comments. I finished third in the Grand National and then the game crashes before I could save. I had to keep going back on and pressing cont/alt/delete until I finished third again - at least a dozen attempts which is not very satisfactory. Sometimes I can get three or four crashes in a three or four hour playing session.

I reckon most players get so absorbed into SO7 that they forget to save for long periods so a crash for them would be really devastating and probably lead to them packing the game in. Especially as most pc games in this day and age automatically save at periods chosen by the player.

Anyway, it is a frustration and I have learned to work around it best I can.


Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:20 am
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Location: Newburgh, Scotland
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
I save before every day I have a runner, for one reason, the dreaded red triangle, they are too frequent and you can't withdraw your horse when you find it has the triangle, so I reload.


Mon Sep 21, 2020 12:31 pm
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:03 am
Posts: 110
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
marklaker wrote:
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!



Halfway through my second US flats season, and while I had hopes of greater achievements, I’m about where one should expect to be given the quality of my stable. Currently #7 on the trainer’s list, with a 40% win rate, and 9 stakes victories, including my first G1. As I prophesied in the previous post, my cadre of top 3 year old Class 2 handicappers have not reached the same heights of success in their four year old seasons. They’re still bringing home plunder, but not at their previous rates, and their attempts to move up in class have largely been rebuffed. A third of my stakes victories were captured by my top stallion, Forzarzi, who’ll soon retire to kick off what I hope will be a fruitful breeding line.

My three year crop is my most successful in terms of winning percentage, claiming 29 of 48 trophies, but just two stakes victories, though I expect that number to increase three or fourfold by year’s end. The freshmen class was a slow go out the gate, with most taking three races to break their maidens. Two, however, are top ten rated and should soon be competing beyond the handicap class. The yearlings are a mixed bag, as previously indicated, though still too early to pigeon hole at this point.

My breeding operation has improved markedly, if not by leaps and bounds. I jettisoned the plow horses masquerading as broodmares and plucked a few promising candidates from weekly auctions, including what I hope will be the crown jewel, a 6 year old with 14 Group 1 victories and over $10M in earnings, whom I immediately retired and sent to the Horse of the Year from two seasons ago. Fold in my top stallion and my best four year old fillies at year’s end and suddenly the yield from my breeding barn is trending upward.

Good racing, all!


Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:45 pm
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:03 am
Posts: 110
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
neves_rats wrote:
I'll be honest, the game very very seldom crashes for me. I can't remember the last time it did. I save the game on the main Summary page by pressing 'S' every few game days just to be safe.


I can count the number of crashes on one hand. Regardless, I save repeatedly, in obsession like fashion.


Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:00 pm
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:03 am
Posts: 110
Post Re: My current save - manual training.
Long Haul Harry wrote:
At last I have managed to get on top of yard numbers and took 140 horses out of the game, many from the breeding barn. My breeding operation now has a much better feel to it as more and more horses are home breds or purchasers that I raced and watched.


I got cocky and pushed my stable number to 56 for a spell. That was too chaotic for me and I downsized to 45, which may be my sweet spot.


Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:04 pm
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