Ellipse, a leading sports data and analytics company, behind the likes of CricViz and TennisViz, has announced a multi-year partnership with Racecourse Media Group (RMG).

The partnership will see Ellipse’s data engineering and analytics specialists, combined with AI and machine learning, bring a new dimension to how fans consume and understand horse racing – the first project of its kind for the sport.

Ellipse will work alongside RMG in using tracking data to generate a suite of analytics, modelling new performance indices and pre-race and post-race insights, known as RaceiQ metrics. The objectives of the partnership are to create new and engaging data insights to demystify horse racing performance, plus provide new ways to present the sport to existing and new fans of the sport.

Advertisement

Ensuring cutting-edge metrics are developed, with racing fans at its core, is vital to the project and, to that end, Ellipse and RMG have been working with some of the biggest names from across the racing industry.

The group includes former champion jockey and leading broadcaster Ruby Walsh, the unmistakable voice of ITV’s racing commentary, Richard Hoiles, recently crowned HWPA broadcaster of the year, Lydia Hislop, and Racing TV presenter and analyst Angus McNae. We are also delighted to announce that former jockey Page Fuller has joined Ellipse and will take the role of Lead Editorial Analyst for RaceiQ.

One of the RaceiQ metrics, Lengths Gained Jumping (LGJ), has recently been introduced to Racing TV’s coverage and determines how well a horse has jumped throughout a race compared with its rivals and therefore if it affected the outcome of the race.

Roderick Grafton, MD – Horse Racing at Ellipse said: “We’re delighted to be working on such an innovative project with RMG. The opportunity to combine our data science expertise with the knowledge of legends in the sport will allow us to produce RaceiQ metrics that will bring a deeper level of insight and understanding to racing audiences. Lengths Gained Jumping is the first such metric and we are thrilled with the interest it has received so far.”

Guy Evans-Tipping, CEO of Ellipse commented: “We are extremely excited to be partnering with RMG on this first-of-its-kind project in horse racing. Ellipse has proven experience in delivering innovative analytics metrics across sports and our aim with horse racing is to attract and engage a new audience. The team are hugely excited about innovating new performance metrics for RMG’s audience. It is a unique opportunity to demystify horse racing and will no doubt uncover new angles and narratives in the sport.”

Advertisement

Martin Stevenson, CEO of RMG, added: “This partnership with Ellipse will herald a new chapter in how we understand and engage with the sport of racing. Ellipse has shown how, through the likes of CricViz in cricket, sport can be brought to life with innovative data and analytics. We look forward to working together to engage with existing fans and attract new fans to the sport by using data to help predict how races might be run and won, which will also prove a valuable betting tool.”