Timeform’s New To Racing Racecards, produced in association with Great British Racing, are heading to a racecourse near you soon.
Day two of the Dante Festival at York will see the latest trial of a new product, specifically designed to augment the experience for those who attend racing infrequently and help them feel more engaged with the action on the track.
Following extensive research and on course testing over the past 18 months, the card aims to present the complex and intricate world of horse racing form in a more accessible and tailored format.
Although still work in progress, it has already had a very warm response from the newer racegoers who used it at Haydock’s Sprint Cup Day and the Paddy Power Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham last year with positive sentiment around ease of use, how it helps them understand the sport they are watching and the fact it feels tailored to their needs.
The new racecards will be launched across selected Premier Raceday fixtures from July, with customers asked to continue to provide feedback on how they can evolve further and better provide more of the key information they are looking for.
Seb Butterworth, Director of Timeform said: “Those new to racing or who attend meetings infrequently have told us that they feel overwhelmed by how racing information is currently presented. Very often conflicting data and hard-to-decipher codes add a steep degree of learning to what should be a fun and sociable experience, so we have focused on alleviating some of those challenges. Whilst some information more regular racegoers expect to be present has been omitted, this simplified view has been warmly received by those for who this card is designed.
"The key challenge is not to present the data in a way that simply provides a solution or a tip but allows novice racegoers to have easy-to-consume relevant information about a horse’s chance in a race so they can make their own informed decision.”
Jon Barnett, Project Lead, Fan Engagement for of GBR added: "We’re delighted to be working with Timeform on these new to racing racecards – and this test and learn phase will allow us to really understand what customers are asking for and how we can further develop this concept. It forms part of our wider fan engagement strategy in addition to being a great example of how a Premier Raceday can also manifest itself differently.
"This next phase is possible as a result of additional funding from the HBLB and will include significant supporting customer research to ensure that this is customer led. It includes a digital version that will be adopted through the Raceday Ready App.
“Racing is a wonderful sport, though it can be challenging at times to engage with new audiences, and this fresh concept, built entirely on customer feedback, is a great step in the right direction towards making the wonderful world of horse racing more accessible and easier to understand.”
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