'There are tremendous opportunities for people to learn' - introduction of sectional timing in Ireland hailed

Race analyst James Willoughby has hailed the introduction of sectional timing to all 26 Irish racecourses after a successful rollout at Tramore and Fairyhouse on New Year's Day, describing the data as providing a "profound insight" into race times, while also allowing users to ascertain going and distances more accurately.

The in-race data, which is also published online after races, includes a race clock, leader’s speed, leader’s time per furlong and distance to finish. The system, which is operated by Coursetrack, involves horses carrying lightweight GPS trackers, designed to fit within the saddlecloth. The trackers connect directly to a centralised operation at Racing TV’s London studios, meaning there is no need for antenna installations on course.

Willoughby, who is a former chief correspondent of the Racing Post and analyst on Racing TV, has long been a student of the clock and says sectional times are an essential tool that allow punters to dig into a race time and evaluate its merit.

He said: "Given we know there is a sensitive dependence between the way a race is run and the final time – was a race an exemplar of a well-run race? Should it have generated a fast time considering the way it was run? Sectional times allow us to answer these questions and then we have a much more profound insight into the value of the final time. Sectional times are an essential part of the data set that we need to be able to truly understand the meaning of final times. 

"There's difficulties in using GPS to measure sectional times. All providers have problems where processing is required. I know that Coursetrack are working day in and day out to harness the technology and there's an adaptation process which is ongoing, but I think things will only get better. Anybody proving any new technology, there's always a beta testing phase and that can only be done when the end user can suggest improvements or observe times that don't tally. 

"As things stand, there are tremendous opportunities for people to learn. The basic use of sectionals is understanding what's a truly run race and what is not and that's invaluable in itself. If a horse runs a mile in 1min 41sec, we have to ask could it have run faster if it had been paced differently and that is the fundamental question that sectionals can answer for us."

Willoughby also believes the data will serve as an invaluable tool when pinpointing going and distances in races that have been subjected to rail movements.

There was controversy in 2021 at the same New Year's Day meeting at Tramore when the Savills Chase won by Al Boum Photo was run over a 287-yard longer distance than had been advertised, according to At The Races' sectional times specialist Simon Rowlands.

Willoughby said: "If you take a six-race card with small fields, it's easy enough for the final times to not reflect the true state of the going because it may be that three races were slowly run and the other three were strongly run. With sectionals, you can see inside a race. If a race featured sectionals of under ten seconds and the ground is described as good, good to soft in places then something is clearly very wrong and you can see that immediately.

"It's another way of seeing whether the advertised distance of the race was correct and check whether the surface is as described. Clerks are among some of the most knowledgeable people I know regarding race times as they desperately want the race times and sectional data to come back consistent with their going description."

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