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3 February 2026 – Racecourse Media Group’s timing partner, CourseTrack, has appointed Chris Murtagh as Managing Director of its award-winning live, in-race timing information system.
Murtagh joined CourseTrack in 2015 as Operations Director and now steps into the Managing Director role, following Dave Tharp’s decision to step back from the day-to-day running of the business. Tharp will remain involved with CourseTrack as a Director.
CourseTrack’s system uses lightweight GPS trackers carried by racehorses and designed to fit within the saddlecloth. The technology delivers in-race data from 60 racecourses across the UK (35) and Ireland (25), including race clock, leader’s speed, leader’s time per furlong, and distance to finish. This data is provided to broadcast networks including ITV, Racing TV and RTÉ for live race coverage.
Chris Murtagh, MD at CourseTrack, said:
“I am delighted to be stepping into the Managing Director role at CourseTrack and would like to thank Dave Tharp for his success in growing the company to where it is today. The company is built on a hardworking operations team delivering a slick service at over 1,000 fixtures a year, whilst a tech team has ensured that at regular intervals, we are deploying improved firmware and software upgrades to the product.
The next step for CourseTrack is to continue to deliver a robust service to our current customers; to evolve the technology, and to grow the business into new territories. We are also delighted to welcome Simon Kirk back to CourseTrack as Operations Manager to help achieve this.”
CourseTrack’s data supports in-running betting across 10 bookmakers in the UK, creating new revenue streams for the sport. The data also powers Race IQ, an analytics solution that brings insights to life across broadcast and social channels, and supports other areas of the industry, including handicapping and horse well-being.
Real-time CourseTrack data underpins some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the Randox Grand National, Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, Betfred Derby, Juddmonte International, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. The system enhances the experience for fans and punters through the deployment of cutting-edge RTK technology, delivering best-in-class accuracy with sub-10cm tracking now in use.
Murtagh brings extensive sports industry experience to the role. He began his career as a professional cricketer with Surrey CCC and Shropshire CCC before moving into project management, where he led website builds for Investec Cricket Zone, a nationwide participation program for the LTA, and an innovative live auction fantasy football game for UEFA.
