Puzzle first then forget smoothly: A puzzle-based method for identifying similar jockey silks for on-site horse race spectators

In on-site horse race viewing, spectators identify racehorses based on the silks worn by jockeys. However, many silks are visually similar, and the target silks differ from race to race. Spectators must temporarily memorize the current target silks and then forget them to avoid memory interference in subsequent races. To address this challenge, we propose a puzzle-based method in which users reconstruct silk patterns from divided parts to promote attention to contrastive differences while facilitating later forgetting. We evaluated the proposed method through three experiments: an image recognition test, a video recognition test, and a race engagement comparison experiment. In the first two experiments, we compared the puzzle-based method with a conventional coloring-based method. Both methods achieved high accuracy in the image recognition test, whereas the puzzle-based method showed advantages in the video recognition test, particularly for distinguishing visually similar silks and maintaining performance across camera angles. The coloring-based method tended to produce stronger memory traces and greater interference, whereas the puzzle-based method showed a more consistent tendency to support post-race forgetting and reduce interference. In the third experiment, we compared race viewing after pre-race memorization using the puzzle-based method with race viewing supported by an image-reference approach without prior memorization. The puzzle condition was associated with fewer gaze-away events and higher race-engagement ratings. These findings suggest that puzzle-based pre-race memorization may help spectators maintain attention to the race and feel more involved in identifying and tracking their target horse, although further field validation is needed.