Solutions-based Seymour keen to make a data-driven difference
Equate seminar to host an array of speakers from within and outside thoroughbred industry
Data is the future of the thoroughbred industry, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be room for intuition in assessing the merits of horses and races.
In fact, that immeasurable that has been used by some of racing and breeding’s greatest minds – Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith, Dr Percy Sykes, Chris Waller and the Freedmans, to name a few – will remain the unquantifiable difference in the sport that is racing.
However, the use of artificial intelligence and technology, some of which is already available in other sectors, can provide solutions to many of the industry’s issues.
That is the view of Tom Seymour, the organiser of next month’s Equate seminar, “Australia’s only innovation focused event for the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry”.
The industry entrepreneur argues that the thoroughbred industry can learn a lot from other agricultural fields, with Dairy Australia board member Andrew Smith among the guest speakers at the federal government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-supported event.
Seymour believes there are many similarities between the dairy industry and that of thoroughbred racing and breeding.
“They’re time poor, they have the same welfare, traceability and staffing issues that we have in the thoroughbred industry,” he said.
“The way they are trying to address those is using innovation. Primarily, that is data and through the integration of robotics allowing [cows to] basically milk themselves. Where I see that going is … why can’t we use some of those learnings about robotics to muck out stables or other mandatory labour tasks that we are finding very hard to fill those roles in the thoroughbred industry?
“That is what I want to try and get people thinking about. Other industries are doing it, so let’s think outside the square.”
The event will be held on July 2 and 3 in Scone, Australia’s thoroughbred breeding heartland, with some tickets still available.
Sydney-based Google director Neal French will also address the seminar about how artificial intelligence will become part of our way of life.
“My brief to Neal is don’t try to speak directly to the thoroughbred industry. Give us an overall picture of what the world and day-to-day life will look like with artificial intelligence and other modern technologies that Google, the biggest software company in the world, are playing with as a softener to try and open people’s minds,” Seymour said.
“I read a quote in the Fin Review which said, ‘the number of jobs that AI will destroy is an open question, but a far safer bet is the prediction that workers who know how to use it will eventually replace those who do not’.”
Seymour, though, suggested that data and innovation won’t replace horsemanship.
“It will become the critical missing component that data can never replace,” he said.
“Its value, therefore, will be even more sought after because everyone will have access to the same data. It’ll be the only point of difference.”
Data, however, is playing an increasingly important part of trainers’ day-to-day management and training.
Ciaron Maher, who operates Australia’s largest stable, has invested heavily in sports science.
Coline Labadie, the chief operating officer of equine data software provider Arioneo, and Josh Kadlec-Cavanagh, the head of data and performance at Ciaron Maher Racing, will also be guest speakers at the two-day seminar.
“I’ve got Josh coming up from Ciaron Maher Racing to talk about high-performance data and what they’re using is what I’ve described as the ‘new cobalt’, that being the data,” Seymour said.
“Josh is able to determine the workload of a horse and breakdown, in the most simple terms, when a horse is going to peak in lengths and, more importantly, knowing how to keep this horse sound, knowing what its workload is.”
Amanda Olthof, the senior manager of levied industries at AgriFutures, and Garnett Hall, the director of VetChip, are also on the speaking panel.
Seymour revealed Hall has already developed a microchip that could be used in the thoroughbred industry.
“In its most basic sense, it can tell a heart rate, it can tell an animal’s temperature. Our existing chips have a serial number, that’s it,” he said.
“What I am getting Garnett to showcase is that there’s already technology out there that he’s got that is being used on dogs and other pets. The technology is there and we could have it rolled out tomorrow, which would go so far to address welfare, traceability and other things.
“[Microchips are] already part of the breeding ecosystem in that it’s regulated that a thoroughbred must be microchipped, so why don’t we put in a microchip that brings some relevant data back?
“[This seminar is] going to that core guise that there’s so much out there that already exists. We can go a long way to solving a lot of the [equine] traceability and welfare issues with existing technology.”
Olthof will also explain how the levies collected by the thoroughbred industry and invested by AgriFutures in research in the thoroughbred industry could be used to benefit the sector.
“Let’s get some clarity and get the industry behind what AgriFutures is doing and learn from other industries with their levies. Transparency is great,” Seymour explained.
“If they [breeders] feel like they’re invested and they’re doing things that are going to have positive outcomes in their day-to-day business, they’ll get behind it.”
Seymour added: “I am a big believer in that we [thoroughbred industry] are advantaged, maybe in my naive optimistic thinking, but we have the opportunity because we are so far behind the eight-ball that we have the luxury of seeing what has worked in other industries and being able to pluck out that innovation and to try and adapt what works with a cow, a sheep or a pig and adapt it for a horse.
“Where there’s been some conjecture, I’ve tried to make it appeal to all sectors. People are thinking it’s just breeding, but it’s for trainers, foremen and people wanting to come into the industry. It’s just as a starting point to open that conversation,” Seymour said.
“It will all be solutions-based, we’re not there to pot people. It’s all about what we can do, and point out what’s out there, rather than what’s happened in the past and who’s been responsible.
“It’s about working collaboratively to change the dynamic.”
Limited number of tickets remain for the Equate workshop at $99 each. They can be purchased by clicking here.