ASCOT Racecourse will publish its own sectional timing and data-tracking information from next month. The racecourse has been trialling a Longines system during this week’s Royal meeting.

To be formally rolled out at the July 13th-14th Ascot fixture, the Longines Tracking System will provide instant data on the exact position of horses during a race, race rankings, the distance between horses as well as their acceleration and deceleration. In addition, it measures the horses’ covered and remaining distance in the race.

Entirely based on satellite data, the system does not require any permanent installation on the racecourse.

In November 2016 HRI announced that a similar data-tracking system would be introduced at Irish raceocourses by January 2017. However, the year came and went without any further developments.

Yesterday a spokesperson for HRI referred all queries on the matter to SIS, the company which holds the media rights for Irish racing. No response from SIS had been received by the time of going to press.

Since December 2015 sectional timing data has been provided at UK all-weather racecourses owned by the Arena Racing Company using technology installed by Total Performance Data.