A GUIDE TO
Speed Metrics
What are Speed Metrics?
The GPS tracking data records how fast each horse travels at any point in the race. This, combined with sectional timings and other RaceiQ metrics, paints a comprehensive picture of how a horse has distributed its speed throughout a race.
Speed data underpins a significant portion of our work, but the specific speed metrics available via RaceiQ are:
- Top Speed - the fastest speed (in mph or kph) that a horse reached in the race
- Finishing Speed Percentage (FSP) - how fast a horse completes the final sections of a race in comparison to the rest of the race
- Fastest Sectional - the fastest sectional for each runner, and which horse was fastest through each section
- Average Speed (Race and Sectionals) - the average speed a horse travelled through a race and each section of the race
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The benefits of Speed Metrics
The fastest horse from start to finish wins the race. However, our RaceiQ speed metrics create a deeper understanding of where each horse made the best use of their speed, and therefore energy. It quickly highlights when the use of speed has either won or cost a horse a race.
As well as building foundations for many of our other metrics across RaceiQ, the power to highlight when a horse has gone too fast, or left their challenge too late is crucial when understanding how a race is won.
Why are Speed Metrics so popular?
Speed is key when assessing how a horse has travelled through a race. Whether it’s understanding that a horse has started too quickly and hit their top speed in the first furlong or whether a horse sat at the rear of the field with too much ground to make up, without the speed to catch those in front. The speed metrics, layered with our sectional data and other RaceiQ metrics, are key in unlocking that insight.
There is a lot of terminology in horse racing that is unique to the sport. Creating conversations around speed and time helps build a bridge for those with less industry experience. Highlighting that sprinters on quick ground will frequently hit speeds of over 40 mph or that a horse finished 5 per cent quicker or slower than the race as a whole, is engaging to both casual and more experienced fans. These metrics are designed to appeal to everyone, whether for more detailed analysis or a casual interest.
Speed Metrics examples
Our metrics in action
What the experts say
Discover how RaceiQ metrics are elevating broadcast
“There is no such thing as too much data. I’ve been a professional racing analyst for over 20 years, but even experienced eyes will miss plenty of relevant details and nuance. Well harvested data has a great capacity to inform, surprise and improve understanding. Sophisticated utilisation of data is an area that is only going to grow in racing.”
Kevin Blake
Presenter and Racing Analyst
