So Many Roads

So Many Roads : 2017 bay gelding
Owner : The Wellfed Boys

Pedigree

                                                                      Hernando
                                        Sulamani
                                                                      Soul Dream
So Many Roads
2017 bay gelding
                                                                      Cloudings
                                        Spotthestripe
                                                                      Teeton Bubbley

The family

So Many Roads is the second foal from winning Pointer Spotthestripe, who herself hails from a stout jumping family full of English Point-to-Point winners.
Spotthestripe was not devoid of ability by any means and as well as her Point success, she was placed a couple of times in Hunter Chases. On her last appearance at Cheltenham she was upsides the winner, well clear of field when falling 5 out - unlucky.
Following So Many Roads, Spotthestripe has a year younger gelding by Yorgunnabelucky (Lucky Stripe) who has been placed in a hurdle.
The grand dam (Teeton Bubbly) was placed over hurdles and won a Point and bred several runners who ran well in Points also. The best of these was Teeton Babysham, a Point winner who won/placed over hurdles and was also placed chases for Kim Bailey.
In the same vein, the 3rd dam was the Sunley Builds mare Teeton Frolic who bred several prolific winning horses in English Point-to-Points, the best of whom was probably Teeton Priceless who also won Under Rules over fences.

About the sire

Bred by the Niarchos family and trained by Patrick Bary in France as a 3yr old (winning the French Derby), Sulamani (bay horse, b 1999) continued to prosper as a high class racehorse for Godolphin over the next 2 seasons. He added no less than 5 Group 1 victories to his tally for Godolphin.
Sulamani was campaigned successfully far and wide notching up victories in UAE, England, Canada and the USA. He showed winning form from 10-12f and seemed best suited with a little give in the ground.
To stud in 2005, he spent several years standing as flat stallion at Darley Studs in Newmarket, Brazil and France. First crop included a Classic winner in Mastery, and he has sired numerous Stakes winners in Brazil.
In 2011, he was acquired by Richard Venn on behalf of the Cashman family to stand at David Futter’s Yorton Farm in Shropshire as a National Hunt sire. He has sired several classy jumpers in his time - Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle, 2016 Grand National winner Rule the World, Grade 1 winner Cash 'n Go and 2021 Bet365 Gold Cup hero Potterman.
Sadly though, Sulamani passed away in January 2017.

Form Summary

Season 2024-25 outlook

Last season, 2023-24, our gelding ran quite a nice couple of races to begin with in staying handicap hurdles in the Autumn without looking like winning. But then his form dropped away and he wasn't finishing his races. So a wind operation was scheduled for the Spring, followed by some recuperation at Summer grass.
Fingers crossed though, as "Andy" has been working well in the early few weeks of the season. We'd be looking for this 16.2hh sturdy, chasing type to be making his seasonal debut over hurdles when the ground is soft, before moving onto chasing in the second half of the season.

Profile....

Being by Sulamani (sire of our own Eternally Yours) 'Andy' was an obvious addition to our inspection list at the Goffs UK NH sale at Doncaster in the January of 2019. Principally a yearling sale, he was one of several 2 year old colts on show and although not really on the shopping list, you couldn't help but admire the horse. Unsold in the ring however, the vendor Andrew Sansome was approached post-sale and a deal was struck.
Roll forward a couple of years and former Dodlands Steadings owner 'Lucky Dave' Leslie (of Well Disguised fame) was roped in to form the basis of The Wellfed Boys in whose name So Many Roads will run.

After a couple of spells at Dodlands as a 3 yr old, So Many Roads re-joined the yard in mid April '21 and was given several weeks of steady training before being moved out to summer grass.
After the obligatory 10 weeks at summer grass, Andy came back for preparation for his first season (2021-22) on the racecourse.
He hadn't yet fully furnished into his frame and did look slightly weak in his races that season but Craig (Nichol) gave him nice introductions first a bumper and then in his first race over hurdles - 2½ miles at Ayr - where he made steady headway out of the back straight to be on the heels of the leaders approaching 2 out before tiring into 8th.
Starting off season 2022-23, So Many Roads ran a nice race when 5th in a hot novice at Carlisle (2½ miles) before his final novice over 2 miles at Kelso which gave him his opening handicap mark (OR94). The latent potential of his outings came to the surface on his handicap debut over 2½ miles at Ayr's New Year's meeting of 2023 where, under a fine Craig Nichol ride, he stayed on strongly to beat a field of 17.
A bit unlucky next time over course and distance, he mistimed a hurdle early on and came to grief.That was a hefty fall and he was shaken for quite some weeks afterwards but he was back in full training at the back-end although it was never intended to run again that season.

Season		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other
NH Flat	2021-22					1
Hurdles	2021-22					1
Hurdles	2022-23	1				3
Hurdles	2023-24				1	3
Hurdles	2024-25			1
Chases	2024-25				1	1

Current Season Form

24 February 25 Ayr : 3m handicap chase (Class 4 0-110) OR95 heavy 8 ran (Craig Nichol) - Unseated Rider

Tracked leaders, 3rd before 11th, went 2nd 4 out, 2 lengths down when bad mistake and unseated rider 3 out

So Many Road still had a chance when making a novicey mistake at the last open ditch 3 out.

1 February 25 Wetherby 2m 3½f Handicap Chase (Class 5 0-100) OR97 soft 10 ran (Sean Bowen) - 4th (beaten 16¾l)

In rear, outpaced 3 out, late headway appr last, stayed on well run-in, never placed to challenge

Chasing debut over a distance always likely to be too short. So Many Roads jumped safely on the first circuit but couldn't make an impression on the leading group on this sharp track. Jumping warmed up over the closing fences. Nice ride by Sean and our gelding will be suited by further.

2 January 25 Ayr 2m 4½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 5 0-100) OR97 soft 18 ran (C Nichol) - 3rd (beaten 6¼l)

Towards rear, closer in mid-division 4th, headway chasing leaders before 3 out, hung left 2 out, stayed on into 3rd run-in

So Many Roads won this race in 2023, and after several below par performances it was gratifying to see him come close to that form. He seemed to run better probably thanks to the minor wind op during the summer. He's due his Winter vaccs, so the cold spell is nicely timed.

Previous Season Form

18 February 24 Musselburgh 3m Handicap Hurdle (Class 4 0-115) OR99 soft 8 ran (Craig Nichol) - 7th (beaten 27l)

Close up on outer, ridden approaching 3 out, outpaced, weakened quickly appr last

First time tongue tie didn't appear to make any difference here. So Many Roads has been working better than ever at home in the days leading up to this so there is clearly something amiss.

29 December 23 Kelso 2m 6½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 3 0-125) OR101 heavy 8 ran (Sean Quinlan) - 5th (beaten 31l)

Raced keenly, close up, ridden after 3 and outpaced, weakened quickly appr last

So Many Roads jumped and travelled well for a large part of this race but, alarmingly, weakened quickly at the last was almost at a standstill when crossing the line some distance behind the leader.

23 November 23 Newcastle 2m 7½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 5 0-105) OR102 soft 10 ran (C Nichol) - 4th (beaten 11¾l)

Mid division, stumbled after 5 out but steady headway to track ldr 4 out, disputed lead 3 out, headed 2 out, no extra

How is it phrased these days? Not the result we were hoping for.....Craig had the gelding perfectly positioned throughout and was going best turning for home but found a lot less then we we all expecting. Seemed a wee bit lame when he returned home so he'll be checked out in the next week.

26 October 23 Carlisle 2m 4f Handicap Hurdle (Class 5 0-105) OR102 soft 19 ran (C Nichol) - 6th (beaten 7½l)

Settled in midfield, lost place entering 2nd circuit, steady headway but not clear run 4 out, kept on from last; never troubled leaders

What can be said. Without putting a gun to his head early on, Craig wanted to give our lad some daylight and a good view of his hurdles. However with the bulk of the field travelling wide (best ground), this was difficult whilst maintaining optimum chances of success. Horse ran well, and will improve.

27 February 23 Ayr 2m 4½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 4 0-120) OR99 good to soft 15 ran (C Nichol) - fell

Tracking leaders when fell 5th

So Many Roads, somewhat surprisingly, started favourite for this competitive contest but departed too early to say how he would have shaped. A bit stiff afterwards (much like Craig), we'll see how the next few days go.

2 January 23 Ayr 2m 4½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 5 0-100) OR94 heavy 17 ran (C Nichol) - won (by 1¾l)

Settled in midfield, dropped to rear ½way, good hdwy to join back of leading group 4 out, strong run from 3 out to chal last, stayed on well run-in

Maybe just a low grade affair, but So Many Roads was making his handicap debut here in what proved quite a rough race. Very well ridden by Craig, he had a fair bit to do turning for home but won going away in the end. There looks to be more to come.

24 November 22 Kelso 2m Novices' Hurdle (Class 4) soft 9 ran (C Nichol) - 6th (beaten 17l)

Waited with in rear, hit 2nd and not fluent 3rd, some headway after omitted 2 out, never near to challenge

So Many Roads was outpaced over the first 3 hurdles and made a couple of mistakes but settled into the race soon after. But that had taken its' toll and he couldn't then get close enough to land a blow. He's progressing though and now qualifies for a handicap mark.

30 October 22 Carlisle 2m 4f Novices' Hurdle (Class 4) heavy 8 ran (C Nichol) - 5th (beaten 28½l)

Held up in rear but in touch, headway after 4 out chase leaders approaching 2 out, mistake and no extra, weakened appr last

Another run full of promise from So Many Roads. The outsider of the field, he looked anything but approaching 2 out before some of his more finely tuned opponents kept on to the line. We've not asked a lot of him at home and feel sure there will be more to come from this 5 yr old this season.

15 February 22 Ayr 2m 4½f Maiden Hurdle (Class 4) heavy 13 ran (C Nichol) - 8th (beaten 24½l)

Waited with in rear, good headway to track leading group 4 out, ridden after 3 out, weakened approaching last

Quite an encouraging hurdling debut from So Many Roads. Maiden hurdle but there were many in the race with lots of racing experience and our gelding was on the heels of the leaders 3 out before tiring. There's a bit to work on strength-wise but he's a promising gelding for the yard.

30 December 21 Haydock 2m NH Flat (Class 5) heavy 7 ran (C Nichol) - 5th (beaten 22½l)

Tracked leaders, pushed along 3f out, ridden and wandered 2f out, weakened approaching final furlong

So Many Roads is very much one for novice hurdling in the Spring but he ran well for a long way here. The very testing conditions put a premium on strength and he couldn't match the leading group on the run for home. He is still furnishing into his frame and will have a break now for several weeks.