The horse racing revolution – how in-running tips, F1-style graphics and GPS trackers will transform the sport
NO one could have predicted that a loose horse sprinting down the beach at Yarmouth would have sparked the data revolution set to change racing.
But with in-running tipping and F1-style graphics about to transform TV coverage, that's exactly what Total Performance Data is all about.
In each horse's saddle cloth is a sensor worth about £700 that accurately locates not only where it is in a race, but how it is running.
Now that might sound overly simple to some - of course the horse is running in a race somewhere.
But to in-running punters absolutely desperate for any edge they can get, Total Performance Data's live information, delivered as it happens, could be the difference between a winner and a loser.
After tracking and comparing thousands of horses in thousands of races over thousands of trips, all sorts of going and different tracks the world over, the ideal for each race can be predicted.
And using Total Performance Data's live information feed, punters can see which horse is most accurately tracking the perfect route.
They can see a horse's speed, how far behind the leader they are, how much effort they are exerting and the 'smoothness' of their action.
The live in-running odds from the Betfair Exchange are displayed next to each horse.
For those who have never used the exchange, 1000 (999-1) winners happen more than you think - and the same with 1.01 (1-100) losers.
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The ultimate goal, explains Will Duff Gordon, the boss of Total Performance Data, is to have prompts pop up during the race telling a punter which horse appears to have the best chance of victory.
It brings a whole new element to tipping - pitting the traditional pre-race punter against those who prefer to bet during the race.
Gordon, 45, explained: "A thoroughbred is a perfect vehicle to carry sensors.
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"The horses don't even know it's there and it provides punters with all this lovely data which should make racing more appealing.
"People in racing have strong opinions but we think this can be a broadcast enhancement - a big change in how the sport is shown and consumed.
"Next up is offering the punter bespoke views of the race, be it head-on, drone shots, sideways… that's what the bookmakers want to get to too, where you choose your view.
"That will make racing the best sport to bet on, rather than the traditional sport to bet on.
"The biggest challenge initially was making the sensor fit into the cycle of racing, with jockeys weighing in and out and saddle clothes changing - a process that has worked smoothly for over 100 years.
"We had to tell the engineers to calm down. Don't be mad if the tracker can't have an antenna and cost £100,000 per unit.
"We had to make it work in a sweaty, cold, wet, harsh environment - and it's been very hard."
Punters already got a taste of the future with Shaquille's Royal Ascot win.
Total Performance Data's facts and figures were displayed with JockeyCam's footage from the camera on Oisin Murphy's cap.
Punters could see the horse's acceleration, position in the field, percentage chance of victory, distance from the leader and how far of the race was left to run.
Tracking a horse during a race is nothing new, but the old method was cumbersome, expensive and only available at certain tracks.
And the data was not transferred as quickly to punters, whether it be a five-runner 3m chase or 28-runner cavalry charge over 5f.
Gordon says the instant feedback Total Performance Data provides will benefit everyone in sport - trainers, jockeys, owners and punters.
He said: "After a bad race a jockey is under pressure to say something constructive to connections or TV.
"You get their quick pitch but then they're off to the weighing room, then the next race.
"And I can't remember a single time when what the jockey said wasn't overruled by the trainer!
"But what we do with our speed graphs is give a greater understanding of races.
"What this means for the punter is someday soon we hope to put bet prompts in.
"During the running, we will put an arrow in saying this horse will be suited by this pace, this horse won't.
"We're giving tips and clues - it will be mid-race tipping."
Indeed, the only issue so far has been keeping hold of the sensors.
One came in handy to find that missing horse at Yarmouth, while another was left in a cloth and found in a McDonald's on the A1.
On another occasion, Gordon said: "At the 2022 Saudi Cup, the world's richest race, we couldn't find the sensor for the winning horse. It was panic stations.
"Eventually a sheepish guy popped up - he was the winner's groom and he had kept the number cloth with the tracker inside.
"He made a run for it and we had to rugby tackle him to the floor.
"We weren't going to leave without getting our sensor back!"
Maybe they'll prove just as important and valuable for punters too.
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