- This topic has 120 replies, 45 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
Lydia and Dave Yates had an interesting discusson on this the other night on RUK, prompted by a viewer e-mail complaining that the STs were cluttering up the screen on the Cheltenham coverage
I agree with their conclusion that there’s not much point showing the ST’s on live coverage as no one is able to watch the race and at the same time, in real time, take in and analyse sectional times as they unfold. Particularly over jumps where the STs don’t relate to something standard like ‘furlongs’ but to something random like ‘distance from obstacle to obstacle’ …….which is going to differ track by track and trip by trip at the same track
Surely they’re only of any value for post race analysis……so why bother having them on screen live during the race
I didn’t particularly notice myself but e-mailers were saying that the graphic was obscuring horses that were running wide of the bunch
Stick them up on the racing replay for people to record and spend time poring over at their leisure
Supposedly inaccurate distances, highly questionable times, possible rail movements. At least you know that timing from 4 out to the winning line on the chase course at Haydock is comparing like with like. If you can be bothered.
Thanks to Richard for clarification of the situation for commentators. Of course, if you have trustworthy live sectionals, reliable historical data and allow for any significant alterations to the course, you can write rules to display suitable pars along the way without the need for human input.
Somehow, I suspect that another piece of info on the screen – which would potentially tell you just how the race was unfolding – would not go down well with all, however.
Didn’t know you bet in running Gingertipster?
Very small part of my betting Eddie. Don’t write about it in any betting threads because it would be easy to say when winning and not mention any loss, ie aftertiming. All of my in-running bets are pace related. eg If I can’t see who’s going to lead beforehand and believe the race is going to suit – might wait until they’ve gone a furlong and back one (or more) of the early leaders. Or if I think they’ve gone too fast or too slow for my main bet/s – might lay it/them back as a saver/s.
Value Is EverythingThe needs of the many should outweigh the needs of the few (very few)
I would have thought having sectional times on screen during live jumps races would have extremely limited appeal.
Probably a case of a RUK producer or whoever thinking to himself, what’s the point of having this information if we’re not going to put it on screen, what a plonker.
A very poor decision, when it’s to the detriment of the vast majority of their viewers. Note there was not one comment from any of the presenters or pundits on RUK the whole 3 days at Cheltenham regarding the sectional times.
I wonder why that was?
Lydia and Dave Yates had an interesting discusson on this the other night on RUK, prompted by a viewer e-mail complaining that the STs were cluttering up the screen on the Cheltenham coverage
I agree with their conclusion that there’s not much point showing the ST’s on live coverage as no one is able to watch the race and at the same time, in real time, take in and analyse sectional times as they unfold. Particularly over jumps where the STs don’t relate to something standard like ‘furlongs’ but to something random like ‘distance from obstacle to obstacle’ …….which is going to differ track by track and trip by trip at the same track
Surely they’re only of any value for post race analysis……so why bother having them on screen live during the race
I didn’t particularly notice myself but e-mailers were saying that the graphic was obscuring horses that were running wide of the bunch
Stick them up on the racing replay for people to record and spend time poring over at their leisure
Bags of sense from Lydia and Dave there.
However, i think an onscreen indicator if a time is above or below standard would help. Also on Channel 4 a red button option for race number position across the bottom of the screen might help the casual or newer audience. Surely the technology is available there for certain " viewer aids " ?
Some of the pictures on RUK at Cheltenham this week have been appalling, horrible close ups down the far side and sometimes only showing two or three horses jumping an obstacle or in the case of Champagne Fever’s race just him jumping one.
Makes you wonder what can the director possibly be thinking? Deserves his P45 for me.
I noticed today that during one particular race they were broadcasting the pictures from a moving camera on the inside roadway just ahead or alongside the horses
I thought it was pretty spectacular footage……..
I also thought they were doing it because of the fog…….maybe they couldn’t get a decent picture from the long distance fixed cameras
I noticed today that during one particular race they were broadcasting the pictures from a moving camera on the inside roadway just ahead or alongside the horses
I thought it was pretty spectacular footage……..
I also thought they were doing it because of the fog…….maybe they couldn’t get a decent picture from the long distance fixed cameras
Spectacular if you’re interested in arty farty shots and watching only 2 or 3 horses jumping a fence rather than the race as a whole.
C4 weren’t using them all the time and had decent long shots, it’s not been foggy all week.
Eddie, I agree with you entirely. Shocking way to show a race. I think it is because of their tie in with C4 as that is what they do.
I hate it and it should be banned.
I also hate those massive screens in the middle of the race track so people can watch it on telly as opposed to using binoculars as the ones at Cheltenham actually obscure some of the views of the jumps.
If I wanted to watch on telly I would stay at home.
They are the blight of modern racing IMHORUK Pollute the screen again with sectional times at York
Whether you want them or not these figures cluttered up the screen and obscured the action. That should not be acceptable under any circumstances.
On a previous thread on the subject Richard Hoiles stated that he could not make reference to the sectional times during a commentary as they were delayed and only available on the RUK feed. So what use are they for RUK viewers during a live race?
The analysis from the myriad of RUK presenters and pundits at York on these sectionals times was next to nothing, even after the race.
Why is that if they are apparently so important?I’ve no problem with people using sectional times after the race if they so wish but no way should they be displayed during the "live" race which is delayed by several seconds and the actual sectional times themselves by several seconds more.
The figures do not clutter the screen but I agree unless the so called pundits can be trained in their usage there is no point. I think C4 commentated on the figures from time to time (just read out the figures on the screen) but gave no views on what they might mean.
It is a typical British affair with the racing executive bluffers no clue as to what sectionals are and no organisation such as Turftrax tasked with explaining them. But they apparently seem to be the thing so we will occasionally provide them for the "big" meetings to pretend we are in the know.
Timeform are trying to inform but only with a very limited and peculiar version of sectional timing application. You would think that their owners Betfair would have the business acumen to fund universal UK sectionals to market and help raise the profile of their in-running markets. Something that would make mundane racing more exciting once more.It also does not help that there is no Sectional Form Line of every race each runner has performed in, nor are there public available standard times for each section even at the courses they do show at. So the media is even more at sea with nothing to compare anything against – not even a twitter of a "narrative".
To the chess punters
these are marvellous additions
the majority of betting folk though
use their jaws to analyse them.If you had donkeys on a treadmill
and could back on the most number of buckets
of water they filled up in a set time
it would be so much easier with
sectionals – in fact with a couple
of sectionals you would probably get
the winner each time. Why would it
be so much easier. Answer at the bottom,no conspiring jockeys
Racing UK can do whatever they like, they have the big races, they own the courses and can never be challenged for the rights.
So no matter how much you dislike it I am afraid you are stuck with it.
If they want to put a great big advert in the middle of a race and Ofcom let them nothing anyone can do about it.
That’s what you get for allowing a monopoly at least in football the rights come up for renewal and can be moved to another company in 2018 Racing UK will just sign it’s course back upto itself.
Excellent letter in the RP today about the pollution of our screens.
"This year’s Arc? What a joy!
For the second consecutive year viewers were allowed to enjoy racing’s greatest selling point – the aesthetic beauty of the spectacle – free from gimmicks that spoil the television coverage of British Group races.
No farcical fantasy furlong-markers superimposed on the screen by Channel 4, no ludicrous Racing UK sectional times descending and blotting out horses. If only every day could be Arc day".R Browning
Newtonabbey,
County AntrimSomebody must love Nevison at RUK
Drafted in to report market movers (badly) and produce stats from the past. His contribution is littered with errors. How much longer do subscribers have to pay for this drivel?
Anyone know if his fellow director from Bodugi, Michael Wilson (ex RUK) has been welcomed back to the fold as well?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.