How to create simplistic sectional timings that actually work.
Sectional Times Workshop
I will explain today how to make simple section times that work. If you want to make times that are user friendly to create
All you need is a Stopwatch. I personally use a mechanical type, as I just love the click on, click off. No fancy digital clutter, just start and stop with a satisfying click. Here is my stopwatch I use. It cost me under £40.00. You can of course download a free stopwatch on your phone
Ok how do we start to make a sectional time. The basic principle of a sectional time is to frame a part of the race. From a set marker if possible. The way to always start with sectional timings is to time the finish of a race. What you want to acheive here is a finishing time from this marker.
The limitations of our method is you need racehorses to have run at the same track. We will use an example, lets say for arguments sake it is Kempton National Hunt. A great place to time the horses is from the 3rd last fence. Stop the stopwatch when they jump the 2nd last, then time from the 2nd last to the finish line. You will then have 2 sectional times for this racehorse. You will have 3rd -2nd last fence, then you will have 2nd last - winning line.
Hypothetically let us imagine that the horse timed is the favourite, we now do the same for the 2nd fav and third. We have of course limitations to contend with. Also we now have to equate for ground. I will be absolutely honest here, rightly or wrongly I tend to leave good and good/soft with no adjustment. I used to equate these differences, but found I was missing winners that were clearly faster over the home stretch of the race.
The scale to use for ground is Turf going allowance table per furlong: The problem is here we do not know where the furlong markers are on certain races. Do not get disheartened here, time a few races and you sort of get a feeling for the ground once you have timed a few races.
- Firm +0.55s/f to +0.63s/f
- Good/firm +0.20s/f to +0.53s/f
- Good -0.25s/f to +0.18s/f
- Good/soft -0.55s/f to -0.28s/f
- Soft -1.00s/f to -0.58s/f
- Heavy -1.58s/f to -1.03s/f
This is simplified, and a very crude way to create times, they are however fun to make and with Cheltenham approaching you can try making a few times up and test running them, just remember that there are 2 courses at Celtenham, the old and the new. I made this mistake.
