Japanese training centers

[WinterTriangle]

I had done lots of reading about these last year, mostly due to Casino Drive. But lately, TVG has run a few snippets on the facilities.

It appears they spare no expense for the well being and training of their horses. Swimming pools for stamina building, as well as uphill mulch courses, and even lovely nature walks for the horse's "relaxation and emotional well-being."

On top of that, they seem technologically ahead, instead of clockers, bar codes in saddlecloths are read by bar code scanner for time. Somebody recently wondered why we are not using GPS chips or something?

I was really impressed with their entire facility!

I say this because, after reading the topics about Penn National, I wonder if that stuff happens over in Japan? I somehow doubt it?

[Drvmb1ggl3]

On top of that, they seem technologically ahead, instead of clockers, bar codes in saddlecloths are read by bar code scanner for time. Somebody recently wondered why we are not using GPS chips or something?



This is one thing I've never understood why it hasn't been implemented in the US. Given the weight and importance attached to timed workouts in US racing and handicapping, it amazes me that workouts are still hand timed in this day and age when the technology is both readily available and not particularly expensive and is a damn sight more reliable and much less prone to human error than a person with a stopwatch in their hand.
In Hong Kong they go even one better, they make video replays of each workout available so a punter can see for themselves how the horse went and not rely on such insightful comments as "handily" and "breezed".

[WinterTriangle]

thanks for that information on Hong Kong.

I don't know the answers, but I hope somebody comes along and tells me why, when everyone has a cell phone, and all the smallest grocery stores have scanners, we don't have GPS or scanning enabled bar-codes in the saddlecloth? :confused:

It's like the dark ages.:)