Our Aussie Arioneo representatives had the opportunity to speak with Tony Gollan at his stable in Brisbane. From his journey with data collection to the benefits of using EQUIMETRE, Tony shares how data-driven decisions have enhanced his training outcomes.
LEVERAGING DATA FOR OPTIMAL HORSE TRAINING:
Can you tell us more about how you handle our data collection and analysis? What do you like about working with Arioneo?
Do you have a data-driven decision in mind you could tell us about?
Find out all the answers in this interview and watch the vidéo!
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m Tony Gollan, a trainer in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
How long have you been working with data? Why did you choose to work with data?
We’ve been using data in our racehorse training here for about five or six years now. We have found it to be a very useful tool. I was obviously a bit daunted when I first started using it, I had to get my head around the different data points. However, the more we used the data and the more information we gathered about our horses, the more valuable it became. It has now become an instrumental tool in many of the decisions we make.
Can you tell us more about how you handle our data collection and analysis?
With our data collection and analysis, there is so much to do, we’re probably still in the embryo stages. We’re constantly learning what information to extract. Currently, stride length, heart rates, and recoveries are the key metrics we focus on. Often, you might look at a horse and think that they’re not as fit because of his big, barrel-heavy build, but the recoveries can tell a different story.
Regarding lameness, horses usually have a certain stride length. If the stride length shortens and the heart rate is higher, it prompts us to conduct further veterinary inspections in the morning. It all just marries up well with observing our horses’ gallops. We review the information from the gallops, then perform trot-ups and inspections on the horses later in the morning. This process integrates into a highly effective tool to optimize each horse’s performance.
What do you like about working with Arioneo?
Working with Arioneo has provided us with the best data collection tools available. EQUIMETRE has undoubtedly taken our training journey to another level, which has been crucial. The stride frequency and various other metrics we gather are incredibly valuable. The accuracy of the data is outstanding, and accuracy is paramount no matter what data you’re using.
We find that these sensors deliver highly precise data, which is vital for us. We can analyze the data immediately and get the reports we need very quickly. This efficiency is essential.
Do you have a data-driven decision in mind you could tell us about?
One of the best data-driven decisions I recall was preparing Vega One for the Kingsford-Smith Cup. He had sustained an injury to a hindleg two weeks before the race. I couldn’t saddle him for a whole week, but I got him fit enough to canter on the Monday of the race week and did some work. His fitness levels and the data would determine his readiness.
The work we did was light, which is what I aimed for. His stride length and heart rate data were the best we’d seen from him. This gave me confidence that he was ready to run in the Kingsford-Smith Cup that weekend, turning a challenging fortnight into a great success.
Do you have one piece of advice for a trainer starting his data journey?
I think if you don’t use data now, you’re well behind the times. Data is very important.
My advice would be not to panic too much at the start. Just get as much out of it as you can, and just work out what works for you and how you want to analyze it. All of that is pretty well given to you at the start, and then the more data you have, the more information you will make yourself. As far as our sport goes, I think that it is a no-brainer now especially when every other sport there in the world is using data.
KeyWords: Horse, data, recovery, stride length, stride frequency, Brisbane, Australia, Gollan, racing, EQUIMETRE, Arioneo, fitness, training
Photo : Lachie Millard