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Coursetrack, as part of the recently completed media rights renewal agreement between Horse Racing Ireland and Association of Irish Racecourses and Media Companies Sports Information Services and Racecourse Media Group will be rolled-out to all Irish racecourses from January 1, 2020.
Coursetrack, RMG’s partners in timing, operates the system. Horses are equipped with lightweight GPS trackers that fit inside their saddlecloths. Trackers are connected directly to Racing TV’s London Studios, eliminating the need for antennas on course. To ensure accuracy and reliability, the team in London monitors and uses both talkback and pictures.
RTE, Racing TV and other networks will receive live broadcasts of all Irish races, which include race clocks, the leader’s pace, his time per furlong, and distance to finish.
Coursetrack currently operates on 35 British racecourses. Its data is broadcast live by ITV, Virgin Media, and Racing TV, in both countries.
Coursetrack data has been operational in Ireland at Leopardstown and Dundalk, Fairyhouse is next. The service was awarded a Sports Technology Award, “The Oscars of Sports Innovation”, for the best use of data.
The CEO of Horse Racing Ireland Suzanne Eade said, “Racecourses will enter a new environment for media rights in Ireland from January, and we must ensure that there is as much data as possible available to those who wish to bet on action at our tracks.” I am delighted to welcome the announcement made today .”.
Paul Hensey is the CEO of Association of Irish Racecourses. He said that it was vital to have a system that could provide accurate timing information that would benefit race fans, punters, and participants. Coursetrack does just that. We are delighted to see Coursetrack in action at Dundalk Fairyhouse, and Leopardstown.
Dave Tharp said, “We are thrilled to be working with HRI on this exciting project, and delivering the latest GPS technology throughout the country.” This data is reliable, low-latency, and easy to interpret. It provides a scientific evaluation for a horse’s performance.
Ruby Walsh, a former 12-time champion and presenter for RTE, ITV, and Racing TV, says that pace is the most important aspect of a race. Horses run better when their energy is utilized optimally. This means regulating effort as evenly and consistently as possible. If you get the pace wrong, the results will usually be wrong. For my role as a racing analyst, sectional times are crucial. This is especially true when I am upgrading or downgrading the performance of a horse depending on the way in which their race was run. It’s important to use the clock when watching a horse race to confirm what your eyes tell you about its pace .”
