Sectional Timing

Sectional timing trial starts at Lingfield

BY GRAHAM GREEN 6:52PM 10 FEB 2014

PUNTERS and professionals can look forward to having a valuable new tool at their disposal with Wednesday's launch of a TurfTrax sectional timing trial at Lingfield that will embrace the track's remaining 23 All-Weather Championship meetings, culminating in £1 million Finals Day on Good Friday.

As part of the service, one-furlong fractions will be recorded for each horse along with the finish time of the winner and every runner as it crosses the line. During the race the on-screen broadcast information will show the order of the leaders and two- furlong fractions for each horse, and the data will then be made widely available.

Arena Racing Company director of racing Jim Allen said: "Sectional timing is something we have been keen to introduce, principally at our all-weather tracks, given the consistent nature of the going in comparison to racing on turf.

"We have chosen TurfTrax as it is the only system in the UK that offers both sectional timing and positioning. Sectional timing is used widely in many parts of the world and the positioning element will help to enhance the customer experience."

TurfTrax, currently British racing's only provider of live real-time electronic timing and tracking data, tested the system extensively at Lingfield in the early stages of development.

TurfTrax managing director Mike Maher said: "We are extremely pleased to be reinstalling on one of the Arc racecourses and we look forward to enhancing the raceday experience at Lingfield and making a valuable contribution to the At The Races output. Lingfield provided us with an excellent venue in the early stages of development and beyond. Between 2006 and 2008 we tracked horses in more than 3,000 races on the all-weather and the majority of those were at Arc venues."

RaceTech is preparing to showcase a new sectional timing system following nearly six months of racecourse trials at Kempton, while SIS has joined forces with Leicester to assist with the development of its new ‘beam break' sectional timing system, which will be trialled at the Midlands circuit throughout the Flat season.

I heard we were getting this a little while ago. Was waiting for conformation. Another of our survey requests.(tu)

I have done sectoinal timing with a simple gprs that the xterra atheles use only problem i had was that the workriders had 2 be weighed and a assesment of the track has 2 done on a regular base but it was very handy assesing the progress of horses