8 - Greyhound Race Times
In this section, I explain the importance of entering accurately the fastest/average race and sectional times into the Greyhound Predictor Stat Screen. A link to British Greyhound Track Records is also supplied.
Best Recent Time?
Greyhound Predictor version 2.0 requires you to enter the best time of a greyhound, this is generally referred to as the fastest time or best time recorded over the current race distance within the last 3 months. All greyhound racing times can be entered!
Knowing a greyhound's fastest time is extremely important as it indicates to its maximum or top racing performance, which in turn implies to the grade or class of the race and interestingly lets all of us calculate a dog's average racing speed around a track. (see GP Version 1.0)
Since many of you will be predicting races with varying track dimensions, I would like to point out, that all winning racetimes achieved on greyhound circuits with 'smaller track circumferences' may not correctly represent a dog's true racing ability, as racing speeds associated with sharper, tighter racing tracks will always produce slower overall racetimes!
I suggest therefore, when entering a greyhound's best time into the 'Predictor' that you always feel free to 'add on or deduct' an appropriate amount of racetime, in order to bring these 'race timings' into line with the Greyhound Predictor track times. To find out the correct amount, that maybe required to adjust these times, I recommend, you first trial individual dogs with different 'racetimes' recorded over different 'distances' run at various worldwide stadiums with different 'circumferences', 'race dimensions' and 'surface conditions', then decide for yourself how these winning times compare and adjust accordingly, as we say "It's not a Game? It's a Science!"
However, greyhound times can be very misleading, for instance, if a dog has raced only once over a certain race length, then this greyhound is obviously 'open to improvement' and will no doubt in future races achieve faster times. Where as a dog racing many times over the same distance, may invariably struggle to reproduce their very fastest times. Alternatively a dog thats previously posted a very quick racetime, but is returning to the track after a short rest, spell of lamness or is currently running 'out of form' will also frequently struggle to reproduce their very best racing times. Please note: since the fastest time of a dog is shown in all Uk race programmes within the last 3 months, some greyhounds may have previously recorded much faster racetimes, although this fastest ever or lifetime best racing time is not usually displayed in current trackside raceform.
If a greyhound has No Best Time (NBT) displayed in the formlines, then this dog hasn't yet raced or trialed over this current race distance. Therefore, you will need to enter an alternative racetime from one of it's previous races, run perhaps over another distance or achieved on a different track or alternatively you can always enter your own pre-adjusted racetime, in order to best simulate the real-time race performances of greyhounds.
In most dog form books the winning greyhound's time (Win/Tm) is usually located to the right of the race remarks, however please note, that all recorded times are adjusted accordingly after the race, to take into account the state of going, these are known as 'calculated racetimes' and can be found in all newspaper formlines to the extreme right of each dog's current racing form, an asterix (*) shown after one of these racetimes will always indicate a dog's best recent time, when choosing one of these 'amended racetimes' remember to select a time when a greyhound has performed well, obtained a clear run or achieved a good finishing position, in order to enter a time that correctly reflects a dog's true racing ability.
Is it a Game?
GP v2.0 allows abnormally fast or slow racetimes to be entered, although this 'special feature' is technically incorrect, it does however, allow the 'individual player' the chance to simulate races run over slightly shorter or longer middle-distance races and not only offers more variations in sectional timings and incorporates wider winning race margins but most importantly lets you enjoy further the fun element to Greyhound Predictor! see Betting Lounge!
Try getting the dogs racing in real-time! This is the key to a successful prediction and makes "The Predictor" a unique greyhound tipping tool!
Now check your greyhound paper: The formline statistic Best Recent Time is usually written as an abbreviation (BRT) or Best Time (BT) and can be found in all UK newspaper formlines directly below the breeding lines of each individual greyhound.
Now enter this dog's Best Time.
Best Sectional Times?
In UK greyhound racing form a 'sectional time' is the time it takes a dog, to run from the traps to the winning line, first time around the circuit. This is a very important time to know, as it provides a clue to a dog's pace type, early race position, and interestingly allows all of us ' dog racing enthusiasts' to calculate the acceleration speeds of a greyhound exiting the traps!
Greyhound Predictor v2.0 allows all 'breaking times of dogs' to be entered. However, if as in Australian and American greyhound racing formlines 'No sectionals' to the winning line are stated, then simply leave your answer blank = 00.00 secs. The 'Predictor' will then set this dog an average sectional based on your answer entered for a greyhound's pace type, for example a dog with 'early pace' will be given an 'average early paced sectional time' and hence a racer with 'middle pace' will be given an 'average middle paced sectional time' etc.
Since most greyhound tracks will have different 'run-up distances' from the starting boxes to the winning line, due to the variations in track sizes, I suggest, if you wished to simulate sectionals not relevant to the GP sectional times then once again feel free to 'add on or take off' an appropriate amount of race-time, in order to bring these "split-timings" into line with the GP Racetrack.
For best results, I recommend you select the longer race length of 515 metres or 563 yards, as this will help better simulate the correct sectional timings and precise distances between the dogs, therefore improving your chances of predicting accurately the early race positions and initial breaking times of the greys as they cross the winning line first time around the circuit!
Now check your newspaper.
All 'sectionals' are located directly below each greyhound's name and are preceded by the race distance and the previously occupied box or post position, for instance, 515 [1] 04.20 = (this dog ran over 515 metres/yards, from trap no.1 and recorded a sectional time = 04.20 seconds.)
Now compare all the 'split times' relevant to the distance your predicting and enter the best sectional time of a greyhound.
Understanding Missed Breaks
Greyhound Predictor allows the opportunity to 'simulate missed breaks' by adding on time to a dog's sectional time. As a general rule in determining short dog distances:- 0.08 secs = 1 length, 0.04 secs = 1/2 length, 0.03 secs = a neck, 0.02 secs = head and 0.01 secs = short head. Although it has come to my attention that the time it takes to run a length, may be fractionally quicker 0.0676 secs = 1 dog length, therefore, depending on you viewpoint, if you wanted to simulate a dog missing it's break by two lengths for example, then simply multiply 2 x 0.08 = 0.16 and add this time to the best sectional time, eg: 04.20 secs + 00.16 secs = 04.36 secs or alternatively, you can use the slightly faster sectional length timing, eg: 04.20secs + 00.13 = 04.33 secs approximately, again the choice is always yours!
At British tracks with six runners in a race, the hare travels past the starting traps on the 'outside of the racetrack', Trap six occupying the widest trap position is always the closest runner to an 'outside hare' and theoretically! always has the advantage of being able to see the hare first! On the other hand Trap One being the furthest away, is theoretically always the last dog to see the lure. Therefore, for these reasons wide running greyhounds ie; Trap 5 or Trap 6 invariably break fast from an outside box position but generally don't trap so well when placed in the 'middle traps' or 'coffin boxes'.
Alternatively, greyhounds previously raced from an inside or rails position ie: Traps 1 or 2 invaribly improve their sectional breaking times when drawn further out in the middle of the track, as theoretically they see the hare fractionally sooner being drawn nearer to it, while greyhounds producing fast trapping times from the middle boxes ie: Traps 3 and 4 often struggle to reproduce the same sectional times when drawn closer to the inside fence, as being drawn further away they get to see the lure fractionally later.
In America and at most tracks in Australia, predicting dog breaking speeds is interestingly the opposite way around! as the greyhound closest to an 'inside hare' at 'trap release' is normally Trap 1, which theoretically always has the distinct advantage of being the first dog to see the lure go past. While on the other hand, Trap 8 being the furthest away is always theoretically the last dog to see the lure. Since the dogs in GPv2.0 are programmed to follow an outside hare, I would suggest that Australian and American Predictors may need to quicken up the racetimes of the inside runners to better simulate dogs chasing an inside running hare!
Knowing why a dog's breaking times may alter due to the trap draw, box draw or post positions is vitally important for all 'Predictors' to fully comprehend, as these fractional 'hundreths of a second differences in break times' effect the early racing positions of the dogs which inevitable effects the future results of greyhound races!
Occasionally a runner will 'miss the break' and be left trailing the field, if for example, this was an 'early paced dog', then in it's own eagerness to catch up and rejoin the race leaders, this dog may accidently cause trouble in a race, resulting in crowding (crd), baulking (blk), bumping (bmp) or bunching (bnc) occurring around the opening turns of a circuit, all initially caused by the mis-timing of a greyhound's break! (brk).
This ability to predict accurately in advance the correct sectional time of a greyhound as it passes the winning line first time around, is very important to the 'Science of Greyhound Racing Prediction' as each sectional timing entered not only sets the initial pattern to a race but also influences any 'racing interference' that may take place in the very early stages of a race!
Please note: All greyhounds running on the Greyhound Predictor Racetrack are equipped with their own hit detection and are therefore capable of simulating different aspects of crowding = +0.10secs, bumping = +0.20secs and baulking = +0.30secs that may occur at any time in a race!
Distance of Best Recent Time?
I suggest at first, you experiment by entering different distances of a dog's best time into the Stat Screen, to fully understand how these changes in race lengths effect the overall racetimes in the Predictor.
Another way perhaps, to simulate dogs raised or lowered in race grade, would be to add or delete approximately 2 or 3 metres or yards to the distance entered for a greyhound's best time, if you so desired!
I would also like to mention to 'American & Irish Racegoers' that it's now possible to simulate 550 and 525 yard races on GP's 515 metre track! Since many greyhound races in the United States are run over a standard distance of 5/16 of a mile = 550 yards = 503 metres approximately. Technically when using the 'Predictor' you should always use the closest race length to that your predicting and indeed you can. However, I would in preference recommend, you select the longer track distance of 563 yards or 515 metres. Now enter your 'racetimes' as before but instead of entering the distance of the fastest time as 550 yards or 503 metres, I suggest you add 13 yards or 12 metres respectively and enter the distance of best time as 563 yards or 515 metres. Although this may seem incorrect, my reasons for suggesting this are two fold, firstly by selecting this 'longer distance' you will better simulate the real sectional times recorded by American dogs in typical American races with a 'longer run to the first bend' and secondly and more importantly, the Greyhound Predictor Track generally runs a little faster then an average sized American track, due to it's own racetrack scale specifications, ie: bigger track circumference, therefore, all genuine American greyhound times entered remain extremely relevant to the winning racetimes recorded over this slightly longer distance of 563 yards or 515 metres!
The raceform statistic indicating the length of race is usually located directly below each greyhound's name and is always preceded by race dates shown in chronological order, for instance, 04 Aug 515 = 515 Metres or Yards.
Now check your newspaper and enter the race distance of this dog's best time.
Average Race Time?
GP v2.0 requires you to enter your own estimate of a greyhound's average racetime. However, since there is no greyhound stat informing you of this time, you can leave all average times and distances blank in order to quicken up the data entry!
Knowing the average time will provide you with a further over-view of each dog's times and therefore indicates to the general standard of dog racing. To answer this question, you need to calculate the average of all the racetimes relative to the distance your predicting, in order to enter a time that best reflects the average time of a greyhound. Some of you when calculating average times may wish to ignore certain previous racetimes when that time was significantly slower due to a greyhound being badly bumped (b bmp) or knocked over (ko) fell or did not finish (dnf).
You should also be aware of misleading racetimes, mis-prints, hand timings (HT or Hnd Tm) and those races run over the same distance but in fact recorded on another greyhound track!
Now enter this greyhound's average racetime.
Average Sectional Time?
To calculate the average sectional time of a dog, you need to look at all it's 'previous sectionals' recorded over this current race distance and simply enter your own estimate of the average breaking time. To quicken up data entry the 'Predictor' also allows all 'average split times' to be left blank. Each dog's sectional time will then be set an average time based on your answer entered for a greyhound's pace type.
If a greyhound has No sectional time displayed in the raceform, then this dog has yet to race or trial over this distance, therefore you must enter your own estimate, based on previous sectional times achieved over different race lengths or alternatively recorded on other greyhound tracks with different run-up distances!
Now enter the average sectional time of this dog.
Distance of Art?
Greyhound Predictor uses the abbreviation A.R.T. which stands for Average Race Time.
Now, enter the race distance of the Average Race Time.
Please also see British Track Records and Dates.
Next Page: Type of Pace
