How to read sectional times, furlong by furlong

What does a sectional chart show?

A sectional chart shows each horse's time for every furlong or segment, from the start to the line. The shape of the times shows how the race was run.

Much of Britain's sectional data comes from speed and sectional data tracking devices carried in the saddlecloth, which record each runner's position several times a second. From that trace, each horse's time for each furlong can be worked out, along with its speed and the ground it covered. A final time tells you how fast the race was; sectionals tell you how that time was made.

Read a chart in two directions. Across a row you see one horse's race; down a column you see how the whole field ran that furlong. Comparing a horse's sections with the leader's shows where it gained or lost ground, often more clearly than a replay.

How do early, middle and closing sections differ?

Early sections show how fast the race was run from the start, middle sections show whether the pace held, and closing sections show which horses finished fastest.

The first furlong is slower than the middle of the race because horses start from a standstill, so compare it only with other races over the same course and distance. The middle furlongs are usually the fastest. The closing sections are where races are decided and where the differences between runners show most clearly.

In the illustrative race, A went hard early and slowed sharply in the final two furlongs; B started slower, ran evenly and was finishing much faster, losing by only a short distance.

What is finishing speed percentage?

Finishing speed percentage compares a horse's speed over the final section with its average speed for the whole race. Above 100 means it finished faster than its average.

The final section is usually the last furlong or last two furlongs. In the illustrative race, A averaged 11.7 seconds per furlong and ran the last in 12.8, a finishing speed of about 91. B averaged about 11.72 and ran the last in 12.1, about 97. Neither finished faster than its average, which is normal in a truly run race, but B was slowing far less.

Across a whole field, finishing speeds show the race shape. High figures for most runners mean the race was steadily run and turned into a sprint; low figures mean it was run hard from the front.

How do sectionals reveal a pace collapse or a slowly run race?

Fast early sections followed by slow closing ones point to a pace collapse. Slow early sections and fast closing ones point to a steadily run race that became a sprint.

After a pace collapse, horses that raced close to the strong pace and still finished well have run better than the result suggests, while closers may be flattered. After a slowly run race, the reverse applies: the leaders had an easy time, and horses held up had little chance to show their ability.

How can sectionals show a horse ran better than its placing?

A horse with the fastest closing sections that finished behind horses who raced near a slow pace may have run better than the result suggests.

This is where sectionals earn their keep. A horse beaten four lengths in sixth that ran the fastest final two furlongs in the race, from further back than anyone else, may be the one to note for next time, especially if its next race promises a stronger pace or a longer straight. The result lists it sixth; the sectionals show it was catching everything.

The reverse is also worth noting. A winner that raced alone in front at a slow pace and had the fastest closing section may have been given the race by the way it was run, and could find the next one harder if others take it on early.

How do you adjust sectional times for going and course?

Compare sectionals with course par times for the same course, distance and going. Soft ground and uphill finishes slow every section, so raw times alone mislead.

A final furlong of 12.8 seconds is slow on fast ground at a flat track and quick on soft ground up the hill at a stiff course. Par times, built from many races at the same course and distance, give each section a baseline. Comparing a horse's sections with par, and with the rest of the field on the day, turns raw numbers into evidence.

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