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Sectional times. (Speed handicapping)
In laymans terms, every race has an overall time and every horse in the race has an individual sectional time. The sectional time stated by race callers relates to the last 600 metres and the electric timer is started as soon as the nose of the first horse (leader) crosses the beam. When the winning horses nose hits the winning post it breaks the beam which stops the timer, so now we have an overall time (which started when the barriers opened) and a sectional time.
The sectional time is leader-to-winner, so say the sectional time is 36.00 and the leader at the 600 metre mark stopped to run 8th and the eventual winner came from 3 lengths off the leader at the 600 to win the winners sectional is 35.50 because it's (36.00 minus .50 seconds for 3 lengths as there is 6 lengths to a second in a thoroughbred race). So if there are 20 horses in a race there will be 20 sectionals.
Because a horse can get home in say 35.50 coming off the pace doesn't mean it can run the same sectional if it had to lead. So each horse is an individual and being ridden a certain way will maximize it's performance. Some horses can run incredible sectionals, but that doesn't mean they win a heap of races. The classic example of the last 20 years was Telesto. He could actually break the track record for 1000 metres during his 1600 metre race, but at the end of the day he retired having won only 3 races (2 were Group 1) from 42 starts. On the odd occasion he'd actually jump on terms with the field and you'd think the race is all over - he'd often go ordinary. Historically speaking there is no sanity to it all - and we are left to think the only reason they perform outstanding efforts is because they are better "chasers".
Cheers.
Sectional times. (Speed handicapping)
In laymans terms, every race has an overall time and every horse in the race has an individual sectional time. The sectional time stated by race callers relates to the last 600 metres and the electric timer is started as soon as the nose of the first horse (leader) crosses the beam. When the winning horses nose hits the winning post it breaks the beam which stops the timer, so now we have an overall time (which started when the barriers opened) and a sectional time.
The sectional time is leader-to-winner, so say the sectional time is 36.00 and the leader at the 600 metre mark stopped to run 8th and the eventual winner came from 3 lengths off the leader at the 600 to win the winners sectional is 35.50 because it's (36.00 minus .50 seconds for 3 lengths as there is 6 lengths to a second in a thoroughbred race). So if there are 20 horses in a race there will be 20 sectionals.
Because a horse can get home in say 35.50 coming off the pace doesn't mean it can run the same sectional if it had to lead. So each horse is an individual and being ridden a certain way will maximize it's performance. Some horses can run incredible sectionals, but that doesn't mean they win a heap of races. The classic example of the last 20 years was Telesto. He could actually break the track record for 1000 metres during his 1600 metre race, but at the end of the day he retired having won only 3 races (2 were Group 1) from 42 starts. On the odd occasion he'd actually jump on terms with the field and you'd think the race is all over - he'd often go ordinary. Historically speaking there is no sanity to it all - and we are left to think the only reason they perform outstanding efforts is because they are better "chasers".
Cheers.