8 - Greyhound Race Times
In this section, I shall be discussing how to simulate the real racing times of greyhounds and will be explaining the importance of entering accurately the fastest/average race and sectional times into the Predictor Stat Screen.
Best Recent Time?
The 'Predictor' requires you to enter the best recent time of a greyhound, this is generally referred to as the fastest racetime or best time recorded over the current race distance within the last 3 months.
Knowing a dog's fastest time is extremely important as it indicates to the maximum or top racing performance, which in turn implies the grade or class of the greyhound and interestingly lets all of us 'predictors' calculate a dog's average racing speed around a greyhound track. (see GP Version 1)
Greyhound Predictor version 2.0 allows all greyhound racing times to be entered!
Since most 'dog race punters' 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 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 time, in order to bring these 'real greyhound times' into line with the Greyhound Predictor Racetimes. To find out the correct amount of time that maybe required to adjust these dog times, I recommend, you first trial individual dogs with 'different racetimes' over 'different race distances' run at various worldwide stadiums with 'different track circumferences' and 'race dimensions' and then decide for yourself how these timings compare and adjust accordingly, as we say "It's not a Game? It's a Science!"
Greyhound times can be very misleading, for instance, if a dog lets say has only raced once over a certain race length, then this greyhound is obviously 'open to improvement' and will probably in future races be able to improve on their fastest time, where as a dog running many times over the same race distance, may invariable struggle to reproduce their very fastest times. Alternatively a dog or bitch thats previously posted a very quick racetime, but is now returning to the track after a season, short rest, spell of lamness or is currently running 'out of form' will also frequently struggle to reproduce their very best 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 in the past recorded much faster times 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 runner has yet to race or trial over the current race distance, therefore, you will need to enter an alternative racetime from one of it's previous races, run perhaps over a different race distance or achieved at a different greyhound track or alternatively you can always enter your own pre-adjusted racetime in order to best simulate the real-time race performances of these greyhounds racing around a track.
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 racetime that correctly reflects a dog's true racing ability.
Is it a Game?
Greyhound Predictor v2.0 allows abnormally fast or slow racetimes to be entered, although this 'special racing feature' technically is incorrect, it does however, allow the individual 'race predictor' the chance to simulate greyhound races run over slightly shorter or longer middle-distance race lengths and not only offers more variations in sectional timings and incorporates wider winning race margins but also most importantly lets you enjoy further the fun element to Greyhound Predictor! see also Betting Lounge!
Only the 'Predictor', gives you this ability to simulate future races run in real race-time, this is the key to a successful winning race prediction and makes our greyhound software program a unique greyhound racing tipping tool!
Now check your newspaper. This dog formline statistic is usually written as Best Time or as an abbreviation (BRT) = Best Recent Time or Fastest Racetime and can be found in the formlines directly below the breeding lines of each individual greyhound.
Now enter a greyhound's Best Recent 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 leaving the traps!
Greyhound Predictor allows all 'real-time sectionals' over all initial run-up distances to be entered. However, if, as in some Australian and American greyhound racing formlines 'No sectional time' to the winning line is given, then simply leave your answer blank = 00.00 secs, the 'Predictor' will set this dog an average sectional time based on your answer entered for a greyhound's pace type, for example a dog with an 'early pace' racing style 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. See Pace Types.
As most dog tracks around the world usually have different 'run-up distances' from the starting boxes to the winning line, due to the variations in greyhound track sizes, I suggest, if you wished to simulate sectional times not relevant to the GP sectional times, then you should once again always feel free to 'add on or take off' an appropriate amount of race-time to a greyhound's sectional time, in order to best bring these 'split timings' into line with the GP Racetrack sectional times.
I personally recommend, when using the 'Predictor' that you select the longer race distance of 515 metres or 563 yards, as this length of race will better simulate the sectional timings and exact distances between the dogs, that are perhaps more relevant and similar to the dog races at your local track, therefore improving your chances of predicting accurately the correct racing positions and initial breaking times of the greys as they cross the winning line first time around the circuit!
Now check your greyhound newspaper.
The 'sectional times' are usually located directly below each greyhound's name and are normally 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.)
Understanding Missed Breaks
The 'Predictor' allows the opportunity to simulate 'missed breaks' by adding on time to a dog's sectional break time. As a general rule in determining short dog racing distances: 0.08 secs = 1 length, 0.04 secs = 1/2 length, 0.02 =1/4 length and 0.01 = head, although, it has come to my attention that the time it takes a dog 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 2 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 nearly all British greyhound tracks with six dog runner races, the hare travels past the starting traps on the 'outside of the racetrack', Trap 6 occupying the widest trap position is always the closest runner to an 'outside running hare' and theoretically! always has the advantage of being able to see the hare go past first! On the other hand Trap One being the furthest away from an outside hare, is theoretically always the last dog to see the lure. Therefore, for these reasons wide running early paced greyhounds ie; Trap 5 or Trap 6 invariable break fast from an outside trap position but generally don't get out so well when placed in the 'middle traps' or 'coffin boxes'.
Alternatively, greyhounds raced from an inside or rails position ie: Traps 1 or 2 often improve their sectional breaking times when drawn further out to the middle of the racetrack, as theoretically they see the hare go past fractionally sooner being drawn nearer to it, while greyhounds producing fast trapping times from the middle trap positions ie: Traps 3 and 4 may 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 hare fractionally later.
For races in America and at most dog tracks in Australia, predicting the correct 'breaking speeds' is interestingly the opposite way around, as the greyhound drawn closest to an 'inside hare' at the time of 'trap release' is Trap 1 which always theoretically has the advantage of being the first dog to see an inside running lure, 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 Greyhound Predictor Software are programmed to follow an outside hare, I would suggest to all Australian and American Predictors that they may need to quicken up the racetimes of the inside runners in order to better simulate dogs chasing an inside running hare!
Knowing why dog breaking times may alter due to the trap draw, box draw or post positions is vitally important for all 'dog racing punters' 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 dog will 'miss the break' and be left trailing the field, if for example, this greyhound was an 'early paced runner', then a dog with this type of pace, in it's own eagerness to catch up and rejoin the front runners, 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 badly baulking = +0.30secs that may occur at any time in a race!
Now check your newspaper and compare all the 'sectional times' relevant to the current race distance your predicting.
Now enter the best sectional time of a greyhound.
Distance of Best Recent Time?
You can answer this question in either metres or yards, by simply entering the 'race length' of the best recent time.
I suggest all 'greyhound predictors' experiment by entering different race distances of a dog's best time into the Stat Screen in order to fully understand how changes in race lengths effect the overall racetimes in the Predictor.
Another way perhaps, to simulate dogs that have been raised up in class or lowered in race grade, would be to add on or delete approximately 2 or 3 metres or yards to the race distance entered for a greyhound's best time, if you so desired!
Now check your newspaper.
The raceform stat indicating the length of a dog 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.
All 'UK Greyhound Predictors' please note, it's now possible to simulate 480 and 500 metre racetimes on Greyhound Predictor's 515 metre racetrack! Please read on, as I'd also like to mention to all 'American Race Predictors' that since many middle-distance greyhound races in the United States are run over a race distance of 5/16 of a mile = 550 yards, this distance is approximately = 503 metres, technically when using the 'Predictor' you may feel you should always use the closest race distance to the race length your predicting ie: 547 yards or 500 metres and indeed you can, however, I would in preference suggest, you select the longer race distance of 563 yards or 515 metres, as this race length will better represent a typical American race with a longer run to the first bend seen at American greyhound parks. Now enter your 'actual racetimes' as before but instead of entering the race distance of fastest time as 550 yards or approximately 503 metres, I recommend, 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 technically incorrect, my reasons for suggesting this are two fold, firstly as previously mentioned, selecting this 'longer race distance' will help to better simulate the real sectional times recorded by American dogs in typical American races with a 'long run to the first bend' and secondly and more importantly, the Greyhound Predictor Racetrack generally runs a little faster then an average sized American dog track, due to it's own racetrack scale specifications, ie: bigger track circumference, therefore, all genuine American racetimes entered remain more significant and extremely relevant to the winning racetimes recorded over this slightly longer race distance of 563 yards or 515 metres!
Now enter the race distance of the best recent time.
Average Race Time?
The "Predictor" requires you to enter your estimate of a greyhound's average racetime. Please note there is no greyhound stat that tells you a dog's average time!
Knowing the average racetime provides an overview of each dog's times and indicates to the general racing standard of a race. To answer this question, you must calculate the average of all the 'calculated racetimes' relevant to the race distance you're predicting, in order to enter an average time that best reflects the 'average race-time' of a greyhound over this particular race length. Some 'Predictors' 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).
All 'greyhound predictors' should be aware of misleading racetimes, mis-prints, hand timings (HT or Hnd Tm) and those races run over the same race distance but in fact recorded on another greyhound track!
Now check your newspaper, all calculated times are located to the extreme right of each greyhound's racing formlines.
Now enter this greyhounds average racetime.
Average Sectional Time?
To work out the average sectional time you need to look at all the 'previous sectional times' recorded over this race length and simply enter your estimate of the average sectional time. Please note, the Predictor allows 'average race sectionals' to be left blank, each dog's sectional time will then be set an average sectional time based on your answer entered for a greyhound's pace type.
If a greyhound has No sectional times displayed over the distance, then this dog has yet to race or trial over the current race length, therefore you must enter your estimate of the average sectional time, by perhaps comparing 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 a dog.
Distance of Art?
Greyhound Predictor uses the abbreviation A.R.T. which stands for Average Race Time. Please note, this dog statistic should not be confused with the American Raceform Stat 'actual race time'.
Now, enter the distance of the Average Race Time.
Please also see British Track Records and Dates.
Next Page: Type of Pace
