Coral and JockeyCam debut VR racing experience at Scottish Grand National
Racegoers given the chance to jump in the saddle for a jockey’s eye view of the action
Visitors to the Scottish Grand National Festival at Ayr Racecourse on Friday 1 April and Saturday 2 April will be able to immerse themselves in a virtual reality (VR) experience that puts them ‘directly in the saddle’ of one of seven professional jockeys.
Developed in partnership with JockeyCam Ltd, Coral’s Virtual Race Experience will see racegoers don state-of-the-art VR helmets that grant them a 360-degree view of a specially-commissioned jump meet that was filmed at Chepstow Racecourse.
Featuring horses supplied by trainer Tim Vaughan and commentary provided by Stewart Machin, the VR helmets will allow participants to effectively “ride” the two mile, 11-jump course and experience the thrill of racing like never before.
With JockeyCam Ltd organising the staging and filming of the event, the seven participating jockeys were each equipped with a helmet-mounted, high definition (HD) camera which recorded 360-degree footage of the race. This will enable VR users to experience the action from any angle they please.
Simon Clare, PR director at Coral, said of the project: “Coral and JockeyCam are working together to get racing fans even closer to the action of this amazing sport, and we’re so excited to be launching this pioneering Virtual Race Experience. The 360-degree camera technology is just incredible and delivers the most realistic and intense experience of riding a racehorse in a jump race.”
Sam Fleet, managing director at JockeyCam Ltd, added: “Most people have kicked a football or whacked a tennis ball but very few people have ridden a horse, let alone a racehorse. With the Virtual Race Experience, it’s our intention to show what it’s like to ride in a real race – and the fact that it’s 360-degrees should make it a really incredible experience for the people who are giving it a go.”
Coral have announced they will be taking the Virtual Race Experience to other sponsored meets over the next couple of years, with JockeyCam also preparing to record further race footage in future.