Sectional timing is, as the name suggests, a record of how fast something happened within a part of a race.
In Formula 1 or track and field, this would be lap times within an overall race time; in skiing or cycling time trials, it would be the time a competitor took within a specific segment – or section – of the race.
In all cases, it is a snippet of information about a chunk of a race which can be used to broaden our understanding of how a competitor is performing, or has performed. In and of itself, sectional timing is no more than that.
By collecting this information for lots of similar events, however, we can start to build up a picture of how to do things optimally, which inevitably means how to win more often.
And with the value of a greater awareness of early pace in races, sectional information takes us to another level of comprehension of what happened and why – and, far more importantly, perhaps, what might (or might not) happen today as a consequence of what we understand of the previous days
Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday – the scene of this week’s commentary (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
So suggested a respected British expert and we continue this week in Time Is Money with a look at some of the Hollywoodbets Greyville action from Sunday 6 April 2025.
Going: Good to Soft
Penetrometer: 25
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil – Last seven days 36,5mm
Irrigation: Last seven days Nil
False Rail: 4m
Wind: 10-20km/h Northerly head wind
Course Variant: 0,44s slow
- Three 1400m Races
Three 1400m races got proceedings underway on Sunday and in the slowly run opener, a maiden plate, we saw a facile victory for the odds on favourite GURKHA.
Backed as if defeat was out of the question at the track, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge sat 8th for most of the journey some five lengths off the pace.
He raced wide coming off the bend, but it soon became clear that that, would not make a difference. He ran on best of all in the straight and recording the fastest 400m to finish time in the race, he won with authority after striking the front 90m from home.
In a time of 84,14 the Live Streaming www.galloptv.co.za Middle Stakes was the fastest of the three 1400m races and here victory went to the Peter Muscutt trained PLAZA ACCORD (lost 1 length at start).
Another to find support on course (25/2 into 11/2), the 4yo Danon Platina gelding raced 7th early on some five lengths off the speed. The always handy favourite Golden Destiny (lost 1 length at start) got first run and looked to have done everything right on striking the front 300m out.
Running on best of all under a well-judged ride from Jabu Jacobs though, Plaza Accord put his head in front 70m out and won going away. Interestingly, the fastest 400m to finish time in this race was recorded by the fourth placed horse Tyrconnell.
Easily nine lengths adrift of the leader at the back turning for home, Mike De Kock’s charge didn’t find the clearest of passages in the straight and did well to get within a length and three quarters of the winner at the wire. As in six of his last seven outings, Tyrconnell was reported as making a respiratory noise.
- Two 1800m Races
The Form Guide www.gallop.co.za B Stakes won by FIELD MARSHAL was the quicker of the two 1800m events.
The race was run no faster than the D Stakes before entering the straight, and always handy the son of Lancaster Bomber was perfectly positioned to challenge when the front running Afropolitan exited the back door.
He was ridden to lead approaching the 300m pole and won comfortably from the running on Trois Trois Quatre (squeezed out start: brushed rail 900m) by just under a length.
- Three 1200m Races
Considerably quicker rounding the turn, the www.tabgold.co.za Class 4 event was the fastest of the three 1200m races. Warrior Royalty made the running, but the fast early pace soon began to take its toll in the straight.
The aptly named Super Fast ridden by 4kg claimer Mbuto raced second and kept on strongly despite hanging in over the final 300m.
The well-supported favourite MOYA WA LALIGA finished by far the strongest at the business end of the race though, and won going away by two and three quarters after striking the front 180m from home.
The combination of Gareth Van Zyl and S’manga Khumalo were also on the mark in the last, the Hollywoodbets Bright Future Class 3 over 1200m when QUANDARY registered his fifth career victory.
In the box seat turning for home, the Vercingetorix gelding took up the running shortly after passing the 400m marker. He ran on strongly under a determined ride from S’manga and dug deep below the distance to fend off a strong late challenge from the well-supported favourite Rich Folks Hoax (lost 1 length at start) by a short head.
- Hollywoodbets Greyville Convention Centre Class 5 1000m
Cappellino and the aptly named Lightning Jimmy set a brisk pace in the only 1000m event on the card and as a result the time was a good one.
The two outsiders of the party were soon found wanting in the straight though, and victory instead went to the 5yo ONE IRISH ROVER.
MJ Odendaal’s charge ran on strongly from four lengths off them in sixth, and with the benefit of first run, he got the verdict by three quarters from the running Purple Powahouse.
- Fastest Times:
1200m (3) Moya Wa Laliga 71,58
1400m (3) Plaza Accord 84,14
1800m (2) Field Marshal 110,79
