XAU: two validated per-TF gates — M15 mixed-regime block, M5 hour-9 block

M15 mixed-"trending" regime block (ADX strong, EMAs unaligned =
momentum without direction): -6.8R/24 trades on 12mo, negative both
halves; blocking scores +65.7R/499 PF 1.38 DD 10.4R vs +59.0R/521
PF 1.32 DD 12.6R, better both halves, OOS 2024-06->2025-03 neutral
(-1.4R = the 4 such trades there). M5 never trades this regime.
New XauStrategyConfig.blocked_regimes / sell_blocked_regimes knobs
(default empty) + aggregator gate 6g2; M15 factory opts in.

M5 hour-9 UTC block (post-London-open whipsaw): -28.9R/143 over the
6-year book, negative 5/7 calendar years. Full-history replay with
block: +207.1R vs +178.3R, max DD 28.7R vs 35.5R, 2023 -13.0R ->
breakeven; tuned 12mo book unchanged (139.0 vs 139.3). Hour 9 is
positive on M15 (+1.7R 6yr, +8.6R OOS) so the block is factory
M5-only.

Rejected after validation (documented in xauusd.py + session memory):
transitioning-SELL block (bull-market artifact, +5.7R in 2024 OOS),
M15 trending_down block (M5 cross-TF contradiction), losing-streak
circuit breakers, 30d efficiency-ratio trend gate, and all entry-level
indicator filters (winners == losers at entry on every feature).

Full-history context (Twelve Data 5min starts 2020-03-16): M5 6.3yr
+207R PF ~1.3 post-fix with losing year 2021; M15 +152.6R PF 1.19
DD 49.7R — edge is regime-dependent, chop years are structural.

Tests: 178 passed (new gate test + factory-equivalence updates).

pair_signals/xauusd.py

@@ -14,6 +14,28 @@ window (+30.3R vs +10.6R; the 1R floor lifts targets past the min-TP
 spread gate, roughly doubling trades there). The same knob HURTS M5
 (pinned 12mo book: +131.3R/699 vs +139.9R/547, PF 1.55 vs 1.78), so it
 is per-timeframe, exactly as PENDING_STEPS' decision rule anticipated.
+
+M15 override 2 (validated 2026-07-11, 12mo window 2025-07-11 ->
+2026-07-11 + OOS 2024-06-01 -> 2025-03-30, $0.30 spread): block the
+mixed "trending" regime (ADX strong but EMAs unaligned — momentum
+without directional structure). Those trades lost -6.8R/24 on 12mo,
+negative in BOTH halves; blocking scores +65.7R/499 PF 1.38 DD 10.4R
+vs +59.0R/521 PF 1.32 DD 12.6R baseline, better in both halves. OOS
+is neutral (-1.4R = the 4 such trades that existed there; no power to
+confirm or refute). M5 never trades this regime (its gates already
+exclude it), so the block is M15-only. A second candidate — blocking
+transitioning-regime SELLs (-4.0R/47 on 12mo) — was REJECTED: those
+sells made +5.7R/32 in the 2024 OOS window (bull-market artifact).
+
+M5 override (validated 2026-07-11, full-history replay 2020-03-17 ->
+2026-07-11 + 12mo book, $0.30 spread): block hour 9 UTC (post-London-
+open whipsaw). Hour-9 entries lost -28.9R/143 over 6 years, negative
+in 5/7 calendar years including winning years (2022 -9.2R). Blocking:
++207.1R vs +178.3R baseline on the 6-year replay, max DD 28.7R vs
+35.5R, improves 5/7 years (2023 goes -13.0R -> breakeven); the tuned
+12mo book is unchanged (+139.0R vs +139.3R). M15-and-up keep hour 9:
+it is POSITIVE there (M15 6yr +1.7R, M15 OOS +8.6R), so the block is
+M5-only, same per-timeframe pattern as the M15 overrides.
 """
 
 from typing import Optional, List
@@ -36,7 +58,14 @@ def make_config(
     config.confirmation_timeframes = (
         confirmation_tfs or _CONFIRMATIONS.get(primary_tf, [Timeframe.M15, Timeframe.H4])
     )
+    if primary_tf == Timeframe.M5:
+        # Block hour 9 UTC on M5 only — see module docstring.
+        config.xau_strategy.blocked_hours_utc = (
+            config.xau_strategy.blocked_hours_utc + [9]
+        )
     if primary_tf == Timeframe.M15:
         # 1R minimum target on M15 only — see module docstring.
         config.signals.tp_floor_rr = 1.0
+        # Block the mixed "trending" regime on M15 only — see docstring.
+        config.xau_strategy.blocked_regimes = ["trending"]
     return config