Horses for courses: a DNA-based test for race distance aptitude in thoroughbred racehorses.

The researchers have found that variations at a specific gene locus in Thoroughbred horses can predict the horse’s best racing distance. This finding has led to the development of a DNA-based test which can assist in decision-making for horse racing and breeding.

Background

• The researchers studied the Thoroughbred horse breed, well-known for its use in horse racing. The specific focus of this study was on the myostatin (MSTN) gene locus which is known to effect muscle development and therefore racing abilities in these horses.

Findings

• The researchers discovered that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) – a variation at a single position in a DNA sequence – located in the first intron of the MSTN gene was highly predictive of a horse’s racing distance aptitude.
• More specifically, horses with two copies (homozygous) of the C allele (g.66493737C/T) were best suited for short distance races, horses with one copy of both the C and T allele (heterozygous C/T horses) were best suited for middle distance races, and horses with two copies of the T allele (homozygous T/T horses) were best equipped for longer distance races.

Impact and Applications

• The knowledge gained from this research has patent applications filed for the gene marker association and other linked markers. These patents are exclusively licensed to a commercial biotechnology company, Equinome Ltd.
• Equinome Ltd has utilized these findings to develop a DNA-based test that can assist the international Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding industry in their decision-making processes. The test can guide breeders and racers in optimizing their horses’ potentials by selecting horses that are genetically inclined to perform best at the desired racing distance.
• Furthermore, it can be used to speed up the rate of change of genetic types among distinct populations and within individual breeding operations.