Heritability of racing performance in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population.
Abstract: Performance data for 164,046 Thoroughbreds entered in a race or official barrier trial in Australia were provided by Racing Information Services Australia. Analyses estimating the heritability for a range of racing performance traits using a single-trait animal model were performed using ASREML-R. Log of cumulative earnings (LCE; 0.19 ± 0.01), log of earnings per race start (0.23 ± 0.02) and best race distance (0.61 ± 0.03) were all significantly heritable. Fixed effects for sex were significant (P < 0.001) for all performance traits aside from LCE (P = 0.382). With the exception of annual earnings, trainer was also significant for all performance traits. As the application of modern genetic selection methodologies continues to gain popularity in the racing industry, contemporary heritability estimates from the current population of Thoroughbreds will play a vital role in identifying which traits are better suited to selection and in the development of more accurate genomic evaluations for racing performance.
© 2014 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.
Publication Date: 2014-11-13 PubMed ID: 25393770DOI: 10.1111/age.12234Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research focused on the study of heritability of performance traits in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population. Utilizing performance data from 164,046 horses, the researchers found that traits such as cumulative earnings, earnings per race, and best race distance have a genetic component.
Research Methods
- The researchers used performance data for 164,046 Thoroughbreds that were entered in a race or official barrier trial in Australia. The data was provided by Racing Information Services Australia.
- They carried out analyses estimating the heritability for a range of racing performance traits using a single-trait animal model. ASREML-R was the tool utilized in the analyses.
- Specific traits analyzed included the log of cumulative earnings (LCE), log of earnings per race start, and best race distance.
Findings
- The study found that a number of performance traits were significantly heritable. These included LCE (0.19 ± 0.01), log of earnings per race start (0.23 ± 0.02) and best race distance (0.61 ± 0.03).
- There was a significant fixed effect for sex, for all performance traits, except for LCE.
- The role of the trainer was found to be significant for all performance traits, except for annual earnings.
Implications
- This research provides important insights for the racing industry as modern genetic selection methodologies continue to gain popularity.
- The heritability estimates obtained from the current population of Thoroughbreds will be critical in determining which traits are most favorable for selection.
- The findings can aid in the development of more accurate genomic evaluations for racing performance, thus potentially enhancing selection and breeding practices for racing Thoroughbreds.
Cite This Article
APA
Velie BD, Hamilton NA, Wade CM.
(2014).
Heritability of racing performance in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population.
Anim Genet, 46(1), 23-29.
https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12234 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Australia
- Breeding
- Female
- Horses / genetics
- Male
- Motor Activity / genetics
- Phenotype
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Quantitative Trait, Heritable
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Associations between Medical Disorders and Racing Outcomes in Poorly Performing Standardbred Trotter Racehorses: A Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 9;13(16).
- Sharman P, Wilson AJ. Genetic improvement of speed across distance categories in thoroughbred racehorses in Great Britain. Heredity (Edinb) 2023 Jul;131(1):79-85.
- Velie BD, Fegraeus KJ, Solé M, Rosengren MK, Røed KH, Ihler CF, Strand E, Lindgren G. A genome-wide association study for harness racing success in the Norwegian-Swedish coldblooded trotter reveals genes for learning and energy metabolism. BMC Genet 2018 Aug 29;19(1):80.
- Todd ET, Ho SYW, Thomson PC, Ang RA, Velie BD, Hamilton NA. Founder-specific inbreeding depression affects racing performance in Thoroughbred horses. Sci Rep 2018 Apr 18;8(1):6167.
- Santana ML, Franco TGB, Bignardi AB. Genetic Evaluation of Barrel Racing Performance in Quarter Horses. J Anim Breed Genet 2025 Nov;142(6):609-616.
- Bussiman F, Richter J, Hidalgo J, Silva FFE, Ventura RV, Carvalho RSB, Mattos EC, Ferraz JBS, Eler JP, de Carvalho Balieiro JC. Bayesian Recursive and Structural Equation Models to Infer Causal Links Among Gait Visual Scores on Campolina Horses. J Anim Breed Genet 2025 Sep;142(5):463-477.
- Bussiman F, Alves AAC, Richter J, Hidalgo J, Veroneze R, Oliveira T. Supervised Machine Learning Techniques for Breeding Value Prediction in Horses: An Example Using Gait Visual Scores. Animals (Basel) 2024 Sep 20;14(18).
- Sobotková E, Kopec T, Mikule V, Kuřitková D. Influence of horse demographics, country of training and race distance on the rating of Thoroughbreds. Arch Anim Breed 2023;66(4):299-313.
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