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Home / Equine Research Bank / Aust Vet J / Evaluation of postsale endoscopy as a predictor of future ra...
Australian veterinary journal2022; 100(6); 254-260; doi: 10.1111/avj.13155

Evaluation of postsale endoscopy as a predictor of future racing performance in an Australian thoroughbred yearling population.

Abstract: Upper airway endoscopy of thoroughbred (TB) yearlings is commonly used in an attempt to predict laryngeal function (LF) and its impact on future race performance. The aim of this study was to determine if different grading systems and laryngeal grades were correlated with future performance. Methods: Postsale endoscopic recordings were obtained from an Australian TB yearling sale during a four-year period from 2008 to 2011. Horses were included if they had a diagnostic postsale video endoscopic recording and raced within Australia. Recordings were graded using the Havemeyer system and subsequently recategorised according to the Lane scale and two condensed scales. Performance data were sourced from Racing Australia and comparisons were made between groups. Results: A total of 1244 horses met the inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences in sex or sales price between groups. There were no significant differences in the number of starts or wins between groups for any grading system. For the condensed Havemeyer scale, horses with intermediate LF were separated into two groups. Significant differences in earnings were found between 'normal' and 'abnormal' (P = 0.02) and 'intermediate-low' and 'abnormal' grades (P = 0.03). There were no significant differences between horses with 'intermediate-high' and 'abnormal' grades (P = 0.40). No significant differences were found between the two intermediate grades (P = 0.60) or between horses with normal LF and either 'intermediate-low' or 'intermediate-high' grades (P = 0.99). Conclusions: Resting LF in Australian yearling TBs assessed using a condensed Havemeyer grading scale had some predictive value for future racing performance. This information should be considered when performing yearling endoscopic examinations.
© 2022 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2022-02-21 PubMed ID: 35191021PubMed Central: PMC9305470DOI: 10.1111/avj.13155Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research studied the use of endoscopy on thoroughbred yearling horses in Australia to determine if laryngeal function can predict future racing performance. It was found that a modified version of the Havemeyer grading system had some predictive value, although the method isn’t wholly definitive.

Introduction

  • The researchers aimed to evaluate whether endoscopy of upper airways in Thoroughbred yearlings could be used to predict laryngeal function (LF) effectively and therefore predict future racing performance.
  • Since endoscopic procedures are frequently done on Thoroughbred yearlings, they wished to determine if different grading systems and laryngeal grades presented correlations with future racing performances.

Methods

  • Endoscopic recordings were obtained from an Australian Thoroughbred yearling sale spanning four years from 2008 to 2011.
  • Only horses with diagnostic postsale video endoscopic recordings who raced within Australia were included in the study.
  • The research used the Havemeyer system for grading, then recategorized the results according to the Lane scale and two condensed scales.
  • Data about the horses’ performance were obtained from Racing Australia, with comparisons subsequently being made between the groups.

Results

  • The study included a total of 1244 horses who met the inclusion criteria.
  • No significant differences were found in terms of sex or sales price between the groups.
  • No significant differences were seen in the number of starts or wins between the groups for any grading system.
  • Using the condensed Havemeyer scale, horses with intermediate LF were divided into two groups.
  • Significant differences in earnings were found between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ horses, and between ‘intermediate-low’ and ‘abnormal’ grades.
  • No significant differences were observed between horses with ‘intermediate-high’ and ‘abnormal’ grades, between the two intermediate grades, or between horses with normal LF and either ‘intermediate-low’ or ‘intermediate-high’ grades.

Conclusions

  • In conclusion, when using the condensed Havemeyer grading scale, resting LF in Australian yearling Thoroughbreds can offer some predictive value for future racing performance.
  • However, because there were certain categories where no significant differences were observed, the grading system is not wholly definitive in predicting racing performance.
  • The importance of considering this information when conducting annual endoscopic examinations on yearlings was highlighted.

Cite This Article

APA
Ahern BJ, Sole A, de Klerk K, Hogg LR, Vallance SA, Bertin FR, Franklin SH. (2022). Evaluation of postsale endoscopy as a predictor of future racing performance in an Australian thoroughbred yearling population. Aust Vet J, 100(6), 254-260. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.13155

Publication

Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
NlmUniqueID: 0370616
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 100
Issue: 6
Pages: 254-260

Researcher Affiliations

Ahern, B J
  • The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Equine Specialist Hospital, Gatton, Queensland, 4343.
Sole, A
  • The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Equine Specialist Hospital, Gatton, Queensland, 4343.
de Klerk, K
  • Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre, 226 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Clarendon, New South Wales, 2756, Australia.
Hogg, L R
  • Kangaroo Island Veterinary Clinic, 252 Playford Highway, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 5223, Australia.
Vallance, S A
  • Advantage Equine, Ascot Vale, Victoria, 3032, Australia.
Bertin, F R
  • The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Equine Specialist Hospital, Gatton, Queensland, 4343.
Franklin, S H
  • School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Australia
  • Endoscopy / veterinary
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horses
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Retrospective Studies

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest or sources of funding for the work presented here.

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