Tim Jones, former racing manager to owner Andrew Tinkler, is excited at his new role as commercial director to new venture Equinity.

A chance meeting with racehorse owners Keith Hanson and Steve Catchpole at trainer Michael Dods' stables in North Yorkshire has led to Jones joining the concept which is a subsidiary of Fine Industries.

Equinity is a welfare and training tool designed to monitor the welfare of racehorses. The system uses continuous heart-rate monitoring to provide an early indicator of potential health deterioration, and also determine heart-rate recovery time, which is a vital indication of a horse's fitness.

Jones said: "Keith and Steve identified a project that could put their software department to good use designing a system which assesses health and fitness via heart-rate readings and sectional times.

"Wirelessly, the information is collected and is downloaded through a software system. The idea is to try to provide trainers with data during the training of the horses which helps them establish how healthy and how fit the horses are.

"The product has been in the development process for two years and was soft launched last spring and has been extensively trialled. It is being used by about 750 horses in this country and Ireland. About 15 trainers are using the system at the moment and that figure is growing by the week.

"It's a very sound system and gives information which is extremely useful and valuable.

"Technological advances are going to play an increasing part in the training of racehorses in the future. I felt it was a good opportunity to get involved with a forward thinking enterprise and something which can make an impression on the game in the future.

"The timing couldn't be better. I started with them just after the New Year and we are heading to Dubai as the first stage towards the global marketing process over the next couple of months. Hopefully it will give us exposure to trainers from different parts of the world. We're pretty confident we've got a product that will appeal."

Jones's previous roles in racing have included auctioneer and marketing manager for Tattersalls, racing manager for Highclere and Royal Ascot Racing Clubs, European agent for the Dubai Racing Club and racing Manager at Great Leighs.

13 May 2013

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12 May 2013

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11 May 2013

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10 May 2013

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