News Releases

Friday, August 11, 2006Contact: Bob Curran Jr. (212) 521-5326
Equibase and Timeform Sign International Data Agreement

Equibase Company LLC, the North American Thoroughbred industry’s Official database for racing information, and Portway Press Ltd., the United Kingdom-based publisher of Timeform Race Ratings, have signed an agreement that will facilitate the exchange of proprietary statistical information in support of the globalization of racing.

Timeform will provide Equibase with the Timeform Ratings for all races from the United Kingdom (UK) and Dubai. These ratings will be displayed in the past performances contained in official Equibase® race programs available at the track and online through http://www.equibase.com. Meanwhile, Equibase will provide Timeform with the Equibase Speed Figures for every Thoroughbred racehorse exported from North America for racing in the UK.

“With more and more Thoroughbreds competing internationally and with a steady increase in trans-Atlantic broadcasts of North American racing signals, this agreement enables both companies to provide fans in North America and the UK with additional handicapping tools from which to assess Thoroughbred form,” said Equibase’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, Hank Zeitlin.

According to Peter Bell, deputy managing director of Portway Press, the data exchange agreement expands the ratings information available in support of international racing schedules.

“For almost 60 years, Timeform Ratings have been used by bettors and breeders to assess the merit of each equine competitor in Britain and Ireland, and we are delighted to be able to expand the reach of our ratings to encompass the official Equibase race programs published in North America,” said Bell.

The Equibase Speed Figure, which was recalibrated in February on a scale similar to European ratings, is the world’s most widely distributed speed figure and is published in more than 25 million official past performance programs sold in North America annually. The figure is a computer-generated numerical assessment of the quality of a horse’s final time in a North American Thoroughbred race.

Timeform Ratings, the European rating system based on speed and class, are assigned by a panel of experts for all Thoroughbred races in Great Britain, Ireland and Dubai. In addition, Timeform also offers ratings for all Listed and Graded (Pattern) races in France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia, together with the top horses in North America, through its website, http://www.timeform.com.

Equibase Company LLC is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America. Through its website, http://www.equibase.com, the company offers an ever-increasing menu of racing information and handicapping products for handicappers of all skill levels.