Leading racing and sportsbook data supplier Pythia Sports has unveiled its AI-powered solution which is designed to help buyers identify standout breeze-up prospects during the sales season.

The month of April welcomes the annual series of ‘breeze-up sales’ – at which two year-old horses are put through their paces and then sold at auction.

And now, there’s a new technology designed to make the process of solving the sales more efficient. 

Pythia Sports’s tech provides buyers with a deeper analysis of the horse’s breezing, combining artificial intelligence, machine learning and historical breeze-up sales data to improve the accuracy of performance predictions.

Incorporating more than 100 essential factors, the innovative tech is a proprietary model which evaluates time, stride and biomechanics for every horse at the breeze-ups. These considerations then generate a comprehensive rating for each horse. 

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Technology already making an impact

Pythia introduced the technology to the breeze-up sale at Newmarket last week, where it gathered a lot of interest from the breeze-up fraternity, says Pythia head of commercial operations, Stephen Davison, and will continue its analysis in Doncaster next week.

“The technology analyses three different sections of the breeze: the time, speed and stride profile, the model tracks each stride as the horse gallops combining it with sectional times,” says Davison. “That allows us to see how the stride profile changes as the horse accelerates and when it reaches top speed.

“We have biomechanics as well, that looks at the horse’s walk and takes measurements of a horse’s conformation and its gait. That works in conjunction with historic racing performances to learn what the most defining physical features are in an elite horse. 

“For example we can go back ten years to look up breeze-up data to say, ‘this horse did this breeze, this stride and these biomechanics’ and then the machine learning model can start picking up stuff we’ve missed or things we’ve maybe underestimated or overestimated.”

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“I think there’s definitely starting to be a lot more openness to people using data to inform their decision making. You only have to look at where football was 10-15 years ago to where it is today. The obvious examples are Brighton and Brentford who were using their own player data models to find value in the transfer market way before any other top level club.  It is only natural that you can get a cross over into other sports and other industries. We’re hoping we can play our part in revolutionising the way horse racing and bloodstock views the use of data within the sport. “  

The Doncaster sale takes place April 23-24, with the breeze from 8.30am on the 23rd and the sale beginning at 10am sharp on the 24th. 

World Lottery Association approves innovative software provider with certification to Security Control Standard Level 2 

Online gaming and lottery software provider Bede Gaming has taken another important step on its mission to provide market-leading and secure platform software to its customers, with the announcement that it has acquired World Lottery Association (WLA) Security Control Standard (WLA-SCS) Level 2.

The WLA is a highly respected organisation within the global lottery and sports betting industry, and its Security Control Standard is the only internationally recognised standard for lottery and sports betting operators, and their suppliers. The standard aims to assist WLA members to achieve a level of security control that is aligned with generally accepted best practices.  Though Bede has long adhered to this wide range of criteria, receiving official confirmation of WLA-SCS Level 2 marks formal recognition.

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As an associate member of the WLA and an active iGaming platform provider in the North American market, Bede successfully completed the certification process in the previous quarter and is thrilled to have achieved the highest level of certification – WLA-SCS Level 2. Successfully gaining this certification demonstrates the high quality of product and service provided to its partners. It also confirms the strong security controls and protocols Bede has in place, all of which are approved by accredited industry standards.

As such, Bede is incredibly proud of the outcome of the recent audit, with Head of Risk & Compliance Gerrard Thompson being quick to acknowledge the effort and commitment of the team in achieving the new certification.

Thompson said: “Although Bede Gaming has long upheld the strict industry standards outlined by the WLA, gaining the organisation’s highest available certification is great validation of our high standards of operation and robust security measures.

“With WLA-SCS Level 2 now in place, I’d like to extend my sincere thanks for the hard work and effort of everyone in the Bede team for helping us achieve this important industry milestone.”

Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, is pulling off the ultimate heist for cash in its heart-racing new release Cash in Transit.

This highly volatile 5×4 slot sees players join a cunning gang of thieves in the City of London, attempting to commit the ultimate crime and get away with prizes worth up to 10,000x.

The action begins when three or more Bonus Symbols land, unlocking the game’s Bonus Reels. Players are awarded three respins, which reset with every new symbol that drops. As reels fill with loot, up to two additional reels can be unlocked, increasing the chances of landing valuable symbols and hitting big wins.

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A range of criminally clever features can be triggered when special symbols such as the Cash Bag, Bag Man, Lock Smith, Gov’Nor, Pawn Broker, Detective and Constable land on the reels. Each symbol brings unique abilities to the chase, from revealing and collecting all visible values and amplifying symbol values to bringing non-persistent symbols to life again.

Persistent variants of these character symbols can appear, raising the stakes even more, triggering their abilities at the end of each spin and pushing players toward a genuinely successful heist.

Shelley Hannah, CPO at Relax Gaming, said: “Cash in Transit has all the makings of a legendary Relax Gaming slot. With a truly thrilling bonus reel mechanic that showcases a cunning gang of criminals, we think players will revel in the high-octane action and enjoy the engaging London heist theme with Bonus symbols and respins also up for grabs.”