Sectional timing for the majority of Series races in 2012

The QIPCO 2000 Guineas, in which Frankel is pictured hammering his rivals last year, will launch the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series on Saturday 5 May, with sectional timing providing fascinating insights into the race.  Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Following its successful deployment at the climax of last year’s inaugural QIPCO British Champions Series, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot, sectional timing from TurfTrax is to be rolled out across almost two-thirds of the 35 Series races in 2012.

This is a joint deal between the QIPCO British Champions Series and the four individual racecourses involved – Newmarket, Ascot, Goodwood and York.

In total 19 racedays will be covered, including the whole of four iconic racing festivals – the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York – as well as Betfair King George Day at Ascot.

Every race will be covered on the participating racedays, which comprise 16 QIPCO British Champions Series fixtures and three days which do not feature a Series race – Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket, when many of the stars of next year’s Series are likely to be in action, and days one and four of Glorious Goodwood.

Discussions are due to start soon with the host broadcasters to help them achieve maximum benefit from the data with which they will be provided.

Rod Street, Chief Executive of the QIPCO British Champions Series, said: “We are delighted to be bringing sectional timing to over 60% of our Series races this year in partnership with Ascot, Goodwood, Newmarket and York.

“As well as providing invaluable data to enrich broadcasts and post-race reporting, we hope that it will prove another step along the road towards even more extensive use of this excellent TurfTrax product in the future.

“All sports need to embrace technology and although installing sectional timing at British racecourses is challenging and costly given the unique layout of many of our tracks, it is something which we believe can play an increasingly important role in the appreciation and analysis of our sport.”

The following racedays will be covered, with the 22 QIPCO British Champions Series races included in the TurfTrax deal detailed alongside each fixture:

QIPCO Guineas Festival, Newmarket Rowley Mile, 5-6 May – QIPCO 2000 Guineas, QIPCO 1000 Guineas

Royal Ascot, 19-23 June – Queen Anne Stakes, King’s Stand Stakes, St James’s Palace Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Gold Cup, Coronation Stakes, Diamond Jubilee Stakes

Betfair King George Day, Ascot, 21 July – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair)

Glorious Goodwood, 31 July-4 August – QIPCO Sussex Stakes, Artemis Goodwood Cup, Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes

Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, York, 22-25 August – Juddmonte International Stakes, Darley Yorkshire Oaks, Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup

Dubai Future Champions Day, Newmarket Rowley Mile, 13 October

QIPCO British Champions Day, Ascot, 20 October – QIPCO Champion Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO, QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup