Ascot racegoers were treated to another exceptional weekend of racing for the QIPCO King George VI And Queen Elizabeth meeting, as the famous venue reemphasized its position as a leading racetrack in racehorse tracking and timing technology (courtesy of RaceTech, Longines, Gmax & TPD).
Spectators were filled with speed, sectional and positional information during each race, with the ability to view live graphics on the course’s big screen (pictured below), in the aim of offering a better perspective of the race. This has been done with the objective of both helping viewers get a grasp of how the race is being run and more precisely observe the behaviour and performance of each horse and jockey.
Total Performance Data’s new performance metrics intend on providing fans with an insight into a horse’s performance from a statistical perspective, while contextualising the contest. Below are three performances highlighted by TPD from the QIPCO King George VI And Queen Elizabeth meeting:
Carnival Zain
Two successive wins for Carnival Zain ridden by Becky Smith, who delivered another devastating performance to claim the Ascot Lady Amateur Rider’s Trophy. Reaching a speed of 35mph in 10.4 seconds (3rd fastest in the field), Carnival Zain got off to a solid start with jockey Becky Smith positioning herself behind competitor Brodie Hampson on board Alazwar. Two furlongs out, Carnival Zain’s significant peak speed (3rd best in the field at 39.5mph) and ability to hold it consistently (2nd best in the field at 47.8 seconds within 5% of peak speed) proved a lethal combination and saw the 5 year old stretch its legs to cross the line with the highest run out speed (30.2mph 4 seconds after the finish line). Not a bad way to register your first Ascot victory!
Carnival Zain’s winning performance highlights below:
Pyledriver
The highly anticipated King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes delivered a scintillating spectacle. Mishriff amongst other contenders was heavily mentioned as a potential winner in the lead up to the race, but it was William Muir & Chris Grassick’s Pyledriver who stole the show. After getting off to a strong start, Pyledriver took the lead of the race and despite a challenge by Broome later on in the contest, dominated from start to finish. With a remarkably low average velocity fluctuation of 2.41mph (2nd lowest in the field), particularly over 1m3f, PJ McDonald delivered a smooth and efficient ride while registering the 2nd longest duration for peak speed held (20.2s within 5% of top speed). Furthermore, Pyledriver registered the highest stride frequency (2.27 strides per second). His stride wasn’t the longest but when you multiply frequency by length for a crude assessment of speed, he recorded the highest number.
Pyledriver’s winning performance highlights below:
Naval Power
Last but not least is Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes Winner Naval Power. Ridden by William Buick, Naval Power blew the field away in the final stages of the race. Similarly to Carnival Zain, the unbeaten 2-year-old got off to a steady start to put himself in the slip stream of Finn’s Charm, before delivering the devastating blow one and half furlongs from the finish. Indeed, Naval Power held his speed within 5% of his peak speed for 59.6 seconds, the most across the entire field, illustrating his superiority over his competitors. Indeed, while he maintained his speed well to the finish (2nd lowest velocity fluctuation of 5.11mph) and registered the highest run out speed of 31.4mph, his energy deficient rivals on the other hand lost momentum and velocity in the final stages (as observable in the velocity graph below). Despite registering one of the lowest stride frequencies (2.26 strides/second) in the field of runners, Naval Power ranked 1st by length of stride and in its SL x SF rating, re-emphasizing the fact that long striding horses are correlated with horses with higher ratings.
Naval Power’s winning performance highlights below:
