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Distances Information & Help

The distance horses race over is an essential element when studying horse racing. The race distance is simply the total length over which the race will be run (for example 1 mile means the horses will compete to see who wins when travelling over a distance of 1 mile in the race).

Contents
  1. Horse racing distance conversion table
  2. Choice of race distance
  3. Horse racing distances in the system builder
  4. Distances analysis help

Horse Racing Distance Conversion Table

To fully understand horse racing distances you will need to be aware of the different measurement types used and appropriate conversion. The below table shows each race distance travelled over in horse races throughout the UK and Ireland, in the adjoining columns you can view the number of furlongs and yards making up the distance.

Distances less than 2 and a half miles
Race Distance DisplayFurlongsYards
5f 51100
5½f 5.51210
6f 61320
6½f 6.51430
7f 71540
7½f 7.51650
1m 81760
1m½f 8.51870
1m1f 91980
1m1½f 9.52090
1m2f 102200
1m2½f 10.52310
1m3f 112420
1m3½f 11.52530
1m4f 122640
1m4½f 12.52750
1m5f 132860
1m5½f 13.52970
1m6f 143080
1m6½f 14.53190
1m7f 153300
1m7½f 15.53410
2m 163520
2m½f 16.53630
2m1f 173740
2m1½f 17.53850
2m2f 183960
2m2½f 18.54070
2m3f 194180
2m3½f 19.54290
Distances of 2 and a half miles or greater
Race Distance DisplayFurlongsYards
2m4f 204400
2m4½f 20.54510
2m5f 214620
2m5½f 21.54730
2m6f 224840
2m6½f 22.54950
2m7f 235060
2m7½f 23.55170
3m 245280
3m½f 24.55390
3m1f 255500
3m1½f 25.55610
3m2f 265720
3m2½f 26.55830
3m3f 275940
3m3½f 27.56050
3m4f 286160
3m4½f 28.56270
3m5f 296380
3m5½f 29.56490
3m6f 306600
3m6½f 30.56710
3m7f 316820
3m7½f 31.56930
4m 327040
4m½f 32.57150
4m1f 337260
4m1½f 33.57370
4m2f 347480
4m2½f34.57590
4m3f357700
4m3½f35.57810
4m4f 367920

Choice of race distance

Initially when a horse first goes racing it is likely the optimum distance will be decided on several factors including how the horse has performed at home in different scenarios and the preferred distance of the horses parents and other relatives. For more experienced horses, past performance over the distance travelled (and other comparable distances) can be an excellent indication of their anticipated handling of future trips. A simple example of this could be that the horse has raced 25 times yet all of its 4 wins have came on the same distance. Alternatively a trainer may have decided the horse needs to compete over a longer or shorter distance based on how it has raced.


Distances in the horse racing system builder


Race Distance

With the Distance setting, you can specify a distance range as required. Your selection will limit the query to races that fall within the distance range chosen. The same theory applies to the race distance categories relating to previous runs of the horse. Comments -

  • Choosing between 5f & 1 mile means your system returns only races with a race distance equal to or between 5f and 1 mile.
  • To only include 7f races you would set the parameters as between 7f & 7f.
  • Setting between 5f & 6f in the Distance (2LR) category will limit your query to horses whose second last run race was equal to or between 5f and 6f long.

DISTANCE BEATEN (LR)

With the Previous Distance Beaten setting, you can specify a range of distance that the horse was beaten by in its previous race.

  • Between Short Head and 1 Length will limit query to all horses who were beaten by greater than or equal to a shorthead and less than or equal to a length in their last run.
  • Between 4 & 4 would return only horses who were beaten by 4 lengths exactly in their last race.

Dist Won/Ahead

Description of the distance won/ahead category

This particular system builder category looks at the horses previous race and to the distance it finished ahead of the next finishing horse. It is vital you are aware it does not just include winning horses, to set this paramater you will need to set the previous placing category at 1. If you do not specify a previous placing you will receive mixed results. Comments -

  • To only include winners of their last race who won by 10 lengths or more, you would ensure previous placing was set at first and then set this category appropriately.
  • If you were looking for horses who finished third or worse but only a short head ahead of their next rival you would again combine this category with previous placing.

Horse Racing Distance Analysis Help

When studying the horses listed to compete in any of todays horse racing, more often than not a factor you should consider is how each horse has performed over the same distance in the past. It may also be of interest over what race distance the horse has had most success. This data can hopefully lead to some assumptions as to whether the horse is suited by todays trip, whether the horse is likely to stay (last the trip) or if perhaps its too short (certain horses excel when having to travel further). The purpose of the Distance Analysis Tool is to answer these questions fast and efficiently.

Distance Analysis Display

This display shows how each horse competing in the race has fared previously in five separate tests. Each of these tests is highlighted as a heading in the 5 main columns within the table. These are (from left to right) -

SHORTERPerformance in any races ran over distances more than 2 furlongs shorter than todays trip
WITHIN 2 FURLONGS SHORTPerformance in any races ran over distances within 2 furlongs shorter than todays trip
EXACT DISTANCEPerformance in any races ran over same distance as todays trip
WITHIN 2 FURLONGS LONGERPerformance in any races ran over distances within 2 furlongs longer than todays trip
LONGERPerformance in any races ran over distances more than 2 furlongs longer than todays trip

Each of the main columns in the table has three sub columns displaying the number of Runs, Wins and Places in the test.



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