New distances to come into effect

New finishing distances and amendments to the way they are calculated will be introduced by the British Horseracing Authority on Monday.

The new distances to be incorporated are: nose (between dead heat and short head), 21/4 lengths, 2} lengths, 31/4 lengths, 3} lengths and 41/2 lengths.

Currently distances are calculated by the photo-finish computer, using four lengths per second for National Hunt racing and five lengths per second for Flat racing.

However, they will now be calculated as follows: four lengths per second when the going is good to soft or worse and five lengths per second when the going is good or better for National Hunt racing.

For Flat racing they will be calculated as: five lengths per second for all-weather Fibresand and when the going is soft or worse, and six lengths per second for all-weather Polytrack and when the going is good to soft or better.

BHA director of racing Ruth Quinn said: “The downside of the current formula is that it does not take into account going variations and currently involves rounding some distances up or down – therefore the finishing distance on firm going uses the same formula as on heavy going.

“By introducing new finishing distances, alongside the revised formulae, it will ensure increased accuracy in the measurement of finishing distances which in turn will allow the handicappers to be more accurate in their assessments of horses.”