Horse racing is one of the world’s oldest and best-loved sports, dating all the way back to 4,500 BC, and with a rich and storied history behind it, suffice it to say that it has come a long way in the years since. While once upon a time, it was a pursuit reserved for Central Asian tribesmen, today, it enjoys an enthusiastic fan base across the globe, with major racing events now as well known for their opulence, royal and celebrity fan bases and raking in eye-watering amounts in sports betting revenue as they are for the horses and racing action itself.
But it isn’t just the typical audience, nor its reputation that has undergone a dramatic transformation over the years, with technological advancements having well and truly brought many aspects of the sport into the modern age. While horse racing is still centred around time-honored practices passed down through generations of trainers, jockeys, and breeders, the likes of advanced data analytics, wearable technology, and a raft of other innovations within the sport have given it a major upgrade in terms of everything from performance to safety and beyond.
Here, we take a look at how technology has changed the game for horse racing, much like it has changed everything else.
Wearable technology and performance monitoring
While once, horse racing was solely about which horse could run the fastest on event day, today, it’s all about data – and thanks to a new era of wearable technology, performance monitoring has allowed trainers to monitor metrics like horses’ heart rates and strides and utilise GPS tracking to collect information around speed, distance and gait patterns that helps to inform strategies for improvement.
Fitted to horses during training and eventually, the races themselves, they also provide real-time feedback on their physical condition, which has in turn made it possible to better cater to their needs. By highlighting areas where they may be underperforming or over-exerting themselves, it has become easier to identify and address issues such as fatigue or potential injury and ensure that they are not pushed beyond their physical limits.
So whilst enhancing performance is a major benefit, it’s also about welfare, with trainers now able to detect health issues before they become more serious and place a greater focus on horses’ wellbeing.
Artificial intelligence and data analytics
Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics have revolutionised just about every facet of life over recent years, and it’s something horse racing certainly hasn’t escaped, either. While wearable tech is providing vast amounts of valuable data, AI has come into its own where analysis is concerned, doing a job that many professionals can’t by assessing vast swathes of it in seconds.
Spanning everything from historical race data to track surfaces and weather conditions, the results have made it possible for trainers and owners to make better informed decisions when it comes to race preparation and also deciding which results to enter, offering realistic outcome predictions to aid in the process.
Increasingly, we’re also seeing genetic data being leveraged to remove guesswork and improve the overall probability of breeding a champion racehorse, allowing for the identification of optimal pairings.
And of course, the sports betting sphere, too, has been touched by the hand of AI, with a growing number of platforms powered by this innovative tech using sophisticated algorithms to predict race outcomes. Bookmakers now use horse racing data APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that provide comprehensive, up-to-date crucial data so that they can assess and create odds for each event. The available information includes data on horses, jockeys, trainers, race results, odds, and track conditions, which also allows bettors to make informed decisions when it comes to placing wagers and improving the betting experience overall.
Enhanced fan engagement through VR and AR
On that note, it’s fair to say that fan engagement has been transformed by technology just as much as the sport itself, with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) making it possible for immersive experiences to be offered that really bring horse racing to life. Allowing enthusiasts to enjoy the thrill of the race from a variety of new perspectives, it has made it particularly accessible to those who are unable to attend race days in person, with VR headsets transporting them virtually to the racetrack to enjoy 360-degree views of the race, and the sense that they are right there in the thick of the action even whilst at home on the sofa.
Augmented reality apps, which provide live, real-time updates on a race, offering stats on individual horses, jockeys, and even live odds, all overlaid onto the race itself as you watch it, have also signified a significant level-up in fan experience and engagement, offering thoroughly futuristic-style viewing right here in the now.
