Stride data, comprising metrics around Stride Length and Frequency, from Arena Racing Company (ARC) racecourses is now available on At The Races‘ website, in a development that has been dubbed “ground breaking.”
This marks the first time that stride information has been published on this scale, with it stated that data is being collected for every runner, by every furlong in all races run on ARC all-weather tracks.
Those tracks encompass Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Southwell and Wolverhampton, in addition to the flat at Doncaster and Royal Windsor when their seasons commence later in 2018.
This work for the latest development that utilised Total Performance Data (TPD) technology, which has worked with ARC and ATR to enable horseman and race fans to gain deeper insight into performances.
Data can be transmitted every second, via a sensor located in the saddle cloth, which is then averaged over the course of a furlong by ATR.
Matthew Taylor, At The Races’ Director of New Media and Innovation, said: “This is another exciting step forward giving fans of the sport new information they have never received before.
“We look forward to seeing how this can further enhance the analysis and understanding of how races are won and lost. In partnership with TPD and ARC we will continue to bring innovative new ways to understand horseracing which can appeal to existing and new fans of the sport.”
Will Duff Gordon, CEO at Total Performance Data, added: “Our aim at TPD is to use data to bring horseracing firmly into the modern era. Other sports have worked to provide fans with detailed content and data on all aspects of the action, and the wealth of information available in horseracing means our sport can do exactly the same, if not more.
“As well as this development, we are working to expand sectional timing and stride data to all ARC racecourses during 2018, and introduce sectional timing to jump racing for the first time.”
It has also been detailed that ARC’s Silk Series has been shortlisted at the BT Sports Industry Awards 2018, under the Diversity and Inclusion category.
The series, held at nine Ladies Day fixtures and exclusively for female jockeys, was introduced across nine ARC racecourses during the summer of last year, and saw 36 competitors fight it out for prize money worth £100,000, in addition to helping raise £46,000 for Cancer Research UK in the process.
During the course of the series jockeys accrue points, with Megan Nicholls winning The Tufnell Trophy for top jockey following the Final at Doncaster Racecourse in September.