Sectional times in harness racing are vitally important when analysing a race and there are many sectionals to take into consideration.
Like most racing codes the pace and shape of a race goes a long way to determining the winner and in this piece we try to explain some of the terms such as lead times, quarters and mile rates that are second nature to the experienced harness racing follower.
Lead Time
For races over a distance longer than one mile (1609 metres) the first section to be recorded is the lead time.
The lead time in my view is the most crucial, as it paints a reliable picture as to how the race was run.
The lead time is the time it takes from the start of the race for the lead horse to reach the mile mark. So naturally, a 2200-metre race in Launceston will have a different time to a 2090-metre race in Hobart, also standing start races will be slower than mobile start races given the speed the horses are running at release point. Another point to take into consideration is the trotting gait who’s sectionals differ to their pacing counterparts.
A quick lead time is detrimental to the chances of the horses that have done the early work, whereas a slow lead time is a considerable advantage to horses that race in forward positions.
So far this season there have been 76 mobile start pacing races on the Hobart circuit over 2090 metres, with an average lead time of 35.3s.
Launceston has played host to 65 mobile start pacing races for the current season over 2200 metres, with an average lead time of 43.7s.
The four fastest lead times this season have been 40.8s, 41.7s and two at 42.0s. The horses that ran those lead times have been defeated an average of 60.25 metres, two of those starting as the race favourite for their respective races.
This shows how much an early burn in a race can affect a horse’s chances and is a vital sectional for analysing races as well as for in-play wagering.
A good example of a horse racing a fast lead time one start before a change of tactics at its next is Gypsys Clown earlier in the season.
The replay below is from 6 October where the pacer was used up early to hold the lead in the second quickest lead time this season before fading late.
At his next start in Launceston on 3 November, Gypsys Clown drew wide and was kept out of the early speed battle, driven with a sit on this occasion, and that was a telling factor with a dominant 16-metre victory.
Quarters
From the mile mark, the sectional break down is measured by a quarter-mile (402.3 metres).
At the states three main tracks (Hobart, Launceston and Devonport) drivers of the lead horse are required to run their first half of the final mile of the race in a minimum time.
In Hobart and Launceston that time is 65 seconds while in Devonport the time is set at 66 seconds. It is fair to say the tracks, sulkies and the breed have improved significantly since the policy was introduced in 2013 hence why we very rarely see the policy broken.
The first quarter is displayed to the drivers on a timing board on the infield of the track just after the completion of the first quarter. If that board malfunctions or for other factors such as inclement weather or a significantly fast lead time, stewards may refrain from taking action.
There are also other exceptions to the policy including an exclusion for the rule if there has been a change in the lead position. All two-year-old races are also excluded and an additional second is allowed for races over 2400 metres.
Third and fourth quarter sectionals on the Tasracing website.
Each horse that races in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport have their individual third and fourth quarters available in the FORMPLUS race results on the Tasracing website.
These sectionals are calculated by the approximate distance of each horse from the leader at each point and are not individually timed.
By adding the third and fourth quarter, you get the horses last half-mile (804 metres).
The quickest individual last half mile recorded on Tasracing’s Calculated Sectionals so far this season was 55.24s which was recorded by Beachboy Butch in Launceston on 17 January.
Below are the averages of the states two main tracks for pacing races staged this season under mobile start conditions.
Hobart
| 1609m | 2090m | |
| 1Q | 29.1 | 31.6 |
| 2Q | 31.1 | 30.4 |
| 3Q | 29.1 | 29.2 |
| 4Q | 29.5 | 29.9 |
Launceston
| 1680m | 2200m | |
| 1Q | 29.7 | 31.6 |
| 2Q | 31.0 | 30.5 |
| 3Q | 29.4 | 29.4 |
| 4Q | 29.3 | 29.6 |
Mile Rate
Every race is given a mile rate, and this provides consistent timing across races given the many different distances that harness racing is held over.
A mile rate is calculated by taking the time of the race in seconds, multiply that by 1609.342 and then divide that by the distance of the winning horse. This will give you the mile rate in seconds.
In standing start races, the handicap for the winner is added to the distance of the race when working out the mile rate.
An example of this would be this seasons Tasmania Cup which was run over 2579 metres. The winner Ryley Major started off a 30-metre handicap, so the distance for the formula for that race was 2609 metres.
Below is a list of Tasmanian Track Records
Hobart
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1609m MS | CALL ME HECTOR | 18 September 2019 | 1:54.3 – State Record |
| 2090m MS | PACHACUTI | 22 June 2014 | 1:56.3 |
| 2579m MS | BLACKS A FAKE | 26 March 2006 | 1:57.6 |
| 2579m MS | FLASHING RED | 26 March 2006 | 1:57.6 |
| 1609m SS | FINN LEE | 13 July 2009 | 2:03.6 |
| 2090m SS | RESURGENT SPIRIT | 23 October 2016 | 1:58.7 |
| 2579m SS | RYLEY MAJOR | 27 October 2019 | 1:59.7 |
| 3060m SS | FINN MAC KEE | 26 January 2020 | 2:02.2 |
Trotters Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1609m MS | COLD CRUSHER | 24 November 2019 | 2:01.1 |
| 2090m MS | COLD CRUSHER | 15 December 2019 | 2:00.7 |
| 2090m SS | TRUMPS GOLDEN BOY | 28 July 2019 | 2:03.5 |
| 2579m SS | REDASON NZ | 19 May 2019 | 2:04.8 |
Launceston
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1680m MS | MISTER LENNOX NZ | 14 May 2017 | 1:54.5 |
| 2200m MS | SCOOTERWILLREV | 22 July 2018 | 1:56.6 |
| 2698m MS | BLUE POINTER | 14 December 2014 | 1:59.1 |
| 1680m SS | KOOLAZ ELVIS | 24 August 2018 | 2:00.7 |
| 2200m SS | RYLEY MAJOR | 13 December 2019 | 1:57.6 |
| 2698m SS | HARJEET | 31 March 2018 | 1:59.1 |
Trotters Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 2200m MS | REDASON NZ | 12 April 2019 | 2:03.7 |
| 2200m SS | SUNOFLINDENNY NZ | 31 January 2020 | 2:05.4 |
| 2698m SS | ALL OVER THE STARS NZ | 19 October 2018 | 2:06.1 |
Devonport
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1930m MS | JAY PEES RULER | 16 December 2007 | 1:57.5 |
| 2297m MS | ANGEL OR DEMON | 06 March 2016 | 1:58.4 |
| 2665m MS | RESURGENT SPIRIT | 26 April 2015 | 2:00.9 |
| 2286m SS | JAY PAWLAK NZ | 18 May 2003 | 2:02.0 |
| 2645m SS | DAPPER DANA NZ | 25 February 2018 | 2:00.7 |
| 3020m SS | LOMBO LIMMO | 09 March 2008 | 2:01.9 |
Burnie
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 2180m MS | MAJOR DAVVIN | 23 February 2020 | 2:01.3 |
| 1892m SS | DARLINGTON KNIGHT | 05 April 2003 | 2:04.0 |
| 2180m SS | MICKWILLREV | 11 January 2015 | 2:03.0 |
| 2500m SS | ROCKNROLLHIGHLIGHT | 30 November 2018 | 2:03.8 |
| 2789m SS | MURILLO BROMAC NZ | 10 April 2010 | 2:04.4 |
Carrick Park
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1609m MS | JOHNNY APPLESEAD | 16 December 2005 | 1:59.5 |
| 1670m MS | PEACEFUL THOMAS | 16 February 2019 | 1:58.3 |
| 2150m MS | STREETSIDE CLASSIC | 29 December 2019 | 1:58.2 |
| 2650m MS | TICKET TO CASH | 16 February 2002 | 2:04.3 |
| 1609m SS | STRANGE CONDUCT | 16 February 2013 | 2:01.8 |
| 2150m SS | JEANS MATTJESTY NZ | 26 November 2017 | 2:00.7 |
| 2650m SS | SUNNY SANZ | 15 February 2020 | 2:02.5 |
St Marys
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1810m SS | SWAP ME | 01 January 2019 | 2:00.3 |
| 2685m SS | KOOLAZ ELVIS | 01 January 2020 | 2:01.7 |
Scottsdale
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1955m SS | VAPAR GLENN | 11 January 2019 | 2:00.8 |
| 2692m SS | ARTS BLISS | 10 January 2014 | 2:02.3 |
King Island
Pacers Track Records
| Distance | Horse | Date | Mile Rate |
| 1609m MS | HONEST JOHN | 21 January 2001 | 2:02.9 |
| 1680m MS | ISLAND BLISS | 01 January 2018 | 2:12.9 |
| 2079m MS | TONTO BOY | 11 January 2003 | 2:12.9 |
| 1735m SS | JAZZ ROCK NZ | 29 January 2005 | 2:09.3 |
| 2079m SS | HONEST JOHN | 09 January 2000 | 2:06.2 |
| 2079m SS | HONEST JOHN | 14 January 2001 | 2:06.2 |
| 2438m SS | BENJAMIN SHANNON | 01 January 2012 | 2:12.1 |
Conclusion
When reviewing a horses racing performance be mindful of the lead time of the race and how much work the horse did or didn’t do in the early part of the race. This will then give you a better guide on how much respect you place on the closing sectionals for that horse.
All Tasmanian harness replays are provided on the Tasracing website and can be found on the replays tab on the home menu or in the FORMPLUS guide where you can also find individual sectional information.