In this section, I explain how to enter a dog's fastest / average race and sectional times into the Race Predictor Stat Screen. For greyhound racing times, Please see British and Irish Greyhound Track Records and Dates.
Greyhound Predictor Version 2.0 requires a dog's fastest racing time or trial time to be entered. All 'middle-distances' can be simulated!
Knowing a greyhound's quickest time is extremely important as it indicates their top racing performance, which in turn implies to the 'class of the runner' and also lets us calculate the average racing speeds of a greyhound racing around a track. Please 'visit the past' and download GP Version 1.0
Since most tracks around the world have different track dimensions, I would like to point out that all winning-times recorded on circuits with 'smaller circumferences' may not represent a dog's true racing ability, as race-times associated with 'sharper tracks' generally produce slower average speeds!
I therefore suggest, when first entering your racetimes into the 'Predictor' that you always feel free to 'add on or deduct' an appropriate amount of time, in order to bring these race-timings into line with the Greyhound Predictor Track. To know the correct amount of time that maybe needed to be adjusted, you should first trial individual dogs with times recorded over different distances at various tracks with different circumferences and surface conditions, then decide for yourself how these winning-times compare and adjust accordingly, as we say "It's not a Game? It's a Science!"
However, greyhound race times can be very misleading! For instance, if a dog's raced only once, then it's obviously 'open to improvement' and will no doubt in future achieve better times. Whereas a dog raced many times over the same distance may invariably struggle to reproduce their fastest times. Alternatively, a dog or bitch returning to the track following a short rest or spell of lameness may also struggle to replicate their very best racing times. Please note: In Uk racecards the fastest time is stated within the last three months, so some older dogs may have previously clocked a quicker time, although this fastest ever or lifetime best is not currently displayed in trackside form.
If a greyhound has No Best Time (NBT) displayed in the formlines, then this dog has yet to race or trial over the trip. Therefore, you may need to enter an alternative time taken from one of its previous races or trials, run perhaps over another distance or achieved at a different track or alternatively you can enter your own pre-adjusted racetime to best simulate a greyhound's real race performance.
In United Kingdom form books the winning time (Win/Tm) is 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 surface conditions of the track. These are known as the 'calculated racetimes' (Calc/Time). An asterix (*) shown after one of these 'amended race-times' always indicates a dog's best calculated time. When choosing to enter one of these times please make sure that its obtained a clear run or achieved a good finishing position in order to enter a time that best reflects a dog's true ability.
The PREDICTOR allows you to enter abnormally fast or slow race times! This lets you simulate slightly shorter or longer middle-distance races with more variations in sectional timings and wider winning race margins!
Watching the dogs run in real-time is the key to a successful prediction and makes GREYHOUND PREDICTOR v2.0 a unique tipping tool and Game! Please see Betting Lounge!
Now check the formlines.
The Best Time (BT) or Best Recent Time (BRT) is located directly below the breeding lines.
Now enter this dog's fastest time.
Greyhound Predictor v2.0 allows all middle-distance sectional times to be entered!
A 'sectional' is the time it takes for a dog to run from the starting traps to the winning line first time around the circuit. This is an important time to know as it gives a clue to a dog's pace-type, early race position and also lets us calculate the acceleration speeds of a greyhound exiting the traps!
In American races this is known as the 'first turn time' (FTT) and shows the leading dogs time to the escape turn.
Since most greyhound tracks have different 'run-up' distances from the boxes, I suggest if your 'split times' are not relevant, then once again, please feel free to add or subtract an appropriate amount of time, in order to bring these sectional-timings into line with the Greyhound Predictor Racetrack.
I suggest using the 515 metres / 563 yards track to simulate the precise distances between the dogs as they run across the line and race into the bend!
Now check the formlines.
All 'sectional timings' are located below each greyhound's name and are preceded by the race distance and the previously occupied box or post position, for instance, 515 [1] 04.30 = (This dog ran over 515 metres / yards, from trap no.1 and recorded a sectional time = 04.30 secs.)
If 'No sectionals' are stated, then leave your answer blank = 00.00 secs. The 'Predictor' will set this dog an average sectional based on its pace-type!
Now enter the best sectional time.
As a general rule in determining short distances: 0.08 secs = 1 length, 0.04 secs = 1/2 length, 0.03s = a neck, 0.02s = head and 0.01s = short head. Although the actual time to run a length, may be fractionally quicker 0.0676 secs = 1 length. Therefore, if you wished to simulate a dog's 'missed break' by two lengths for example, then simply multiply 2 x 0.08 = 0.16 and add this time to it's best sectional, eg: 04.30 secs + 00.16 secs = 04.46 secs or alternatively use the slightly faster sectional length timing, eg: 04.30secs + 00.13 = 04.43 secs approximately, again the choice is yours!
At British tracks with six runners in a race, the hare travels past the starting traps at approximately 35 mph / 56.33 kph! Trap 6 the widest trap position is the closest runner to an 'outside hare' and theoretically always has the advantage of seeing the hare go past first! On the other hand Trap One being drawn furthest away, is theoretically always the last dog to see the lure. Therefore, for these reasons wide running greyhounds invariably break fast from an outside box position but generally don't trap so well when placed in the 'coffin boxes' or 'middle traps'!
Alternatively, dogs that have previously raced from an inside trap position invariably improve their breaking times when drawn further out in the middle, as theoretically they see the hare fractionally sooner being drawn nearer to it. While greyhounds producing fast trapping times from the middle boxes often struggle to reproduce the same sectionals when drawn closer to the inside fence, as they see the lure fractionally later.
In America, Australia and New Zealand predicting breaking speeds is interestingly the opposite way around, as the greyhound closest to an 'inside hare' at 'trap release' is Trap 1, which theoretically always has the advantage of being the first dog to see the lure go past. While Trap 8 being furthest away is theoretically the last dog to see the lure. Since GREYHOUNDPREDICTOR v2.0 dogs follow an outside hare, I suggest, you quicken the times of inside-runners to better simulate dogs chasing an inside lure!
Understanding why a dog's sectional time may alter due to its starting position is vitally important, as these fractional hundreths of a second differences in break times not only set the initial pattern to a race, but also influence any 'race interference' that may take place!
Occasionally a greyhound will momentarily be 'left in the boxes' and in its own eagerness to catch-up and rejoin the leaders, may accidently cause crowding (crd), baulking (blk), bumping (bmp) or bunching (bnc) around the opening turns, all caused by the mis-timing of a greyhound's break!
All dogs in the Predictor have their own hit detection and can simulate: Crowding = +0.10 secs, Bumping = +0.20 secs and Baulking = +0.30 secs!
I suggest you first trial individual dogs to understand how small changes in distance affect the times and simulate different grades.
By using GP's 515 metre / 563 yard track it's now possible to simulate English 480 metres, Irish 525 - 550 - 575 yards and American 5/16 mile races!
Technically, when using the PREDICTOR you should always choose the closest race length to the distance your predicting and indeed you can. However, instead of entering the distance ie: 550 yards or 503 metres, I suggest you add-on 13 yards or 12 metres and enter 563 yards or 515 metres. Since this distance will help better simulate breaking times with an 'American style' longer run to the first bend and also takes into account that the Greyhound Predictor Track generally runs a little faster then an 'average sized track' due to its own scale specifications, ie: bigger circumference. Therefore, all greyhound times entered remain extremely relevant to the winning-times recorded over this slightly longer distance!
Now check the formlines
All previous 'race lengths' are located next to the 'race dates' eg 04 Aug 515 = 515 Metres / Yards.
Now enter the distance.
To enter the average time of a greyhound you simply calculate the approximate average of all the recent times relative to the distance your predicting. When calculating averages you may wish to ignore significantly slower times due to a dog being knocked over (ko), (fell) or did not finish (dnf).
To quicken up data entry GreyhoundPredictor allows all average times and distances to be left blank!
When entering times please be aware of mis-prints, hand timings (HT) and races run over the same distance but in fact recorded at another track!
Now enter the average time.
Greyhound Predictor v2.0 uses the abbreviation A.R.T. which stands for Average Race Time.
Now enter the race distance of the average time.
To calculate the average simply look at previous sectionals recorded over the distance and enter your estimate of the 'average break time'.
If No sectional time is displayed in the form, then you will need to enter your own approximation based on previous sectionals achieved over different race lengths or alternatively recorded at other tracks with different run-up distances or simply leave it blank!
Now enter the average sectional time.
To calculate the sectional run-up distance simply deduct the circumference of the track from the length of the race.
Now enter the distance of the Average Sectional Time.
