In this interview, find out how Deagon trainer Darryl Ward has integrated equine technology into his training with EQUIMETRE.

Can you start by introducing yourself?

I am Darryl Ward. I train at Deagon in North Brisbane, Australia, and have been doing it for about half a dozen years.

What made you choose working with Arioneo? Can you tell us more about your journey?

I looked into improving my strike rates and learning about the horses. One day, I came across Arioneo on the internet, did some research, and found it interesting. Mike came to Deagon, and we tried Equimetre. I really liked how you could look at the data to know where your horse was, how fast they were going, their heart rate, and their recovery. I was very interested in trying out all the parameters.

I like to look at their recovery, their heart at their maximum speed, their heart rate… 

After they recover and also, the sectionals, like your furlong sectionals are fascinating because we clock them and to have a GPS, that’s just 100% on the money is excellent. 

What can you tell us about the service? 

I deal with Elif in France, and she’s on top of everything. She’s immaculate with every bit of data she gives me. In the early days, I always had to rely on her. Now, she’s 100% on top of everything for me and sends me little comments every week to let me know how well the horses are doing.

Elif gives good advice and always helps me improve. She often says, ‘Maybe you should fix this, maybe you should fix that,’ and that helps me all the time.

Can you tell us about a time when data really helped you make a decision? 

I had a little filly competing in a jumpout / trial and, to the naked eye, she seemed ordinary, very ordinary. I was quite disappointed. Then I looked at all the data and thought, ‘Oh, she did much better than I thought she would,’ thanks to the speeds, running times, and heart rates.

I realized that some of the horses were top-level horses, and she wasn’t a racehorse yet, so that really helped me understand the benefits of having EQUIMETRE and the data at my fingertips.

What advice would you give to a new trainer wanting to integrate EQUIMETRE into their routine? 

Give it a try. It’s really helped me improve my training and my understanding of horses. And I think it’s now the science of racing. I think it’s the right thing to do.

Keywords: Heart Rate, Arioneo, Equimetre, Horse, Race, Darryl Ward, trainer, data, Australia

Photo: @darrylwardracing (instagram)