IT’S becoming the norm to tune into any news or discussion show and hear debate on the use and increasing impact of AI in our lives, in both good and bad elements.
It was used and exposed by one political party in the Dáil recently, who trusted the AI search and the incorrect information that was provided.
It was more frightening on a recent Brendan O’Connor RTE Radio Saturday show, when it was tested if AI could fool people on something totally original like a poem.
Poet Rita Ann Higgins read a new poem she had written and also an AI poem, written ‘in the style of Rita Ann Higgins’ by AI. 70% of listeners who responded, believed the AI poem to be the original by the poet.
It got me thinking, where could this impact racing coverage? Could AI pull all the evidence together and write previews and reports? I gave it the task of doing a preview of who might win the Nunthorpe Stakes. With the way the sprinters are running this year, very few pundits have picked the big race winners.
I was told:
At this stage, Asfoora and Big Evs look strongest based on recent group-race form. Asfoora offers consistency and big-race agility, while Big Evs combines youth and speed, carrying a weight advantage. For those seeking value, Regional is a smart each-way bet - with strong form, suitability to fast ground, and a solid chance for a top-three finish.
As summer progresses, watch stall draws and final confirmations. I’ll update closer to the event once weights, draws, and declarations are announced.
It was the same with the Irish Oaks last week, Minnie Hauk getting the vote but Content also being pulled out as a likely contender. Both had information a year too late.
So it works with the information out there already, what someone else has already written. A bit of the garbage in, garbage out.
But if it can pull all data together so quickly, in what areas could it work?
We know there are big global betting syndicates already using “modelling” to crunch the numbers.
What of race commentary? We have all the in-race data already on screen, and sectional times from each horse.
Could an AI commentator use all that data as the horses race and provide a racecall?
Could we even have a race commentary presented by AI, “in the style of Jerry Hannon”?
We might have to delete every Roaring Bull commentary from the internet though!
The Irish Field will hold a one-day information conference on AI for the equine industry at Naas Racecourse on Tuesday, September 9th
THERE’S nothing like looking back at the past winners of a big race to put into perspective your place in time or advancing years.
It’s a long distant world if you describe to anyone nowadays that we were not able to see a big feature race because the BBC outside broadcast were on strike and it was not shown on TV. Instead, a radio broadcast on Val Joyce’s RTE afternoon Airs And Races show was the only way to find that The Minstrel had beaten Orange Bay back in 1977!
Today’s field of five may fall short of some of those memorable races where the Derby winner took on the older horses and those quality filled races won by Teenoso and Time Charter in the early ‘80s.
No Derby winners are lining up come 2025. Despite Lambourn avoiding the clash with older horses and going for must be a weak Group 2 in the Great Voltigeur at York, Ascot hosts a competitive field with many supporters for each of the top four in the market.
Four high class horses, two of them are geldings but this is an all-aged race with fillies in the reckoning, so allowing geldings who have already proven themselves as top class, is nothing to crib about.
Proved best
For fans of City Of Troy last season, it would be good if Calandagan proved best today. And despite the Epsom reversal, all the sectional time data from his runs at Royal Ascot and York last season put him in the front line. Of course, Ryan Moore was at the centre of those two defeats by City Of Troy and Jan Breughel but can it be third time lucky?
Rebel’s Romance comes again at the age of seven, having beaten Al Riffa at Royal Ascot and got a boost for his Hardwicke Stakes win last week. Could he be the last to play off a fast pace, given he won the Yorkshire Cup over a mile and six?
Kalpana carries the Enable colours but this would be a step up on what she has done to date.
The shorter Ascot straight should allow Mickael Barzalona to have one run at Jan Breughel on whom Moore will surely move first. The French horse can come through this time though Barzalona might not want to repeat the celebrations from Christophe Soumillon on Hurricane Run in 2006!
