I've read about and experienced the flaws of the NH game in that horses, come the age of 7/8, lose most of their ability.
It's frustrating in that you've got to get horses in a Gold Cup by the age of 6 with perhaps two, or at the most three, realistic chances of winning the race during a horse's career.
Has anyone discovered a tactic to combat this?
ie. Do not race horses until the age of 5 (does this prolong a career) or keep their juvenile/novice campaigns to a maximum of two races?
Or is it simply a case of nothing you can do?
I had a horse win the Fighting Fifth/Christmas Hurdle/Champion Hurdle at 5 but come 7 just could not compete and was retired to stud.

There's nothing you can do. I have a 9yo at the moment who started to deteriorate on the flat so I transferred him into my jumps game at 6/7 yo I think, he has won 18 G1's over jumps and has gained all his old potential back and so far there are no signs of deterioration. But he really is an exceptional horse (he's my Kauto Star) and none of my others have even come close to this. I also have another one who hasn't gained his potential back, but it hasn't really decreased in 2 seasons over jumps he is 8yo now and also transferred from the same flat game. I just had a look and both have very low deterioration bars. I would expect there might be one in a million who will keep going, but it's something you'll have to work around until a new patch or most likely the new game.

Jump horses are fine till 9/10. They will win graded races. I haven't really kept any in training longer because of breeding needs. But one of mine I sold beat my best in the world hurdle at age 14!!!

Well I have noticed that few of my 7yo at the start of a new season which in my game is August 1st the time cheltenham comes round the horse is starting lose its form by which now he's 8yo and end of season is retired to stud.

A case apart through I had a horse in a flat game who won 5 ascot gold cups in a row luckily I put this Gamebred horse into the game pool Before losing the game due to New Patches when I started a new NH Game I transferred him in turnout to be a grand national winner twice the other time he fell his jumping was dodgy but he always picked up towards the end of the Race after doing the NH Trials for the league he is still the best stayer I got and the most consistent age was when he was 9yo so I think supercat may have a point of Ex flat horse's being exported to jumps around 5yo may old its form better in the jumps game for a few more years.

Actually thinking again, I don't have any 'jumps' horses. All of mine are ex flat ones, maybe that has something to do with it?? Probably not... But I also don't breed 'jumps' horses, at the end of their careers they are transferred into my 'breeding' game. Then if the offspring are good enough they will be transferred back to the jumps game at 3 or 4, a little older if they're really good on the flat.

Have loads of jumps bred horses. They mature later. i.e Their potential bars only reach their peaks at around age 6. Potential bars can sometimes be only half at 2.

Here you go. Retired at 9. But won 2 more grade 1's in the season at Aintree and France. Finished 2nd to a very good horse of mine at 9

The rapidity at which they decline is really quite frustrating! You should be able to run a jumps horse 'til it's about 13 or 14 but in this game, all of their ability would be completely gone by then. Frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!