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Archives animal breeding2023; 66(4); 299-313; doi: 10.5194/aab-66-299-2023

Influence of horse demographics, country of training and race distance on the rating of Thoroughbreds.

Abstract: The aim of the research was to assess how age, sex, sire, country of foaling, country of training and race distance influenced the international racing and performance of Thoroughbreds. The research was based on performance ratings of 6216 horses assigned by the International Federation of Racing Authorities between 2004 and 2022. The most common sex was stallion (58.54 %) and more than half of the population consisted of 3- and 4-year-old horses (54.68 %). The majority of the horses had the USA as their country of foaling (25.92 %) and also as their country of training (24.87 %). The sire with the largest number of offspring in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) databases was Galileo (IRE) (193 horses). Four of the 10 most frequently represented sires belonged to the Sadler's Wells (USA) paternal line. The analysis of the statistics in the database as a whole established a significant () influence of all observed factors. Stallions achieved a significantly higher rating (117.85) compared to geldings (117.17) and mares (117.13). The horses originating in Ireland achieved a statistically higher rating (117.99) than horses from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, a group of other countries designated "Others" and South Africa. Statistically conclusive differences were found between horses trained in Ireland (118.80) and all other countries except Great Britain and France. Five of the 10 sires with the best offspring rating belong to the Mr. Prospector (USA) paternal line.
Copyright: © 2023 Eva Sobotková et al.
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Publication Date: 2023-10-25 PubMed ID: 38039343PubMed Central: PMC10654610DOI: 10.5194/aab-66-299-2023Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research study investigated the influence of multiple factors on the performance rating of Thoroughbred horses. These factors included the horse’s age, sex, sire, country of birth, country of training, and the race distance.

Research Methodology

  • The study utilized performance ratings of 6,216 Thoroughbreds, provided by the International Federation of Racing Authorities from 2004 to 2022.
  • The demographics of the horses included a majority of stallions (58.54%) and predominantly 3- and 4-year-old horses (54.68%).
  • The most common country of birth and training was the USA, comprising 25.92% and 24.87% of the population, respectively.
  • Sire lineage was also considered, with the sire Galileo (IRE) having the largest number of offspring in the database (193 horses).

Results and Findings

  • All observed factors—age, sex, sire, country of birth, country of training, and race distance—significantly influenced the horses’ performance ratings.
  • Stallions had a significantly higher average rating (117.85) compared to geldings (117.17) and mares (117.13).
  • Horses born in Ireland had a statistically higher average rating (117.99) compared with horses from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and South Africa.
  • Horses trained in Ireland had a significantly higher rating (118.80) compared to horses trained in all other countries, with the exception of Great Britain and France.
  • Five out of the top 10 sires associated with the highest offspring ratings belonged to the Mr. Prospector (USA) paternal line.

Conclusion

  • The study concluded that multiple factors contribute to the performance rating of Thoroughbred horses.
  • The strongest predictors were the horse’s sex, country of birth and training, and their sire’s lineage.

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Cite This Article

APA
Sobotková E, Kopec T, Mikule V, Kuřitková D. (2023). Influence of horse demographics, country of training and race distance on the rating of Thoroughbreds. Arch Anim Breed, 66(4), 299-313. https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-66-299-2023

Publication

Archives animal breeding
ISSN: 2363-9822
NlmUniqueID: 101701238
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 66
Issue: 4
Pages: 299-313

Researcher Affiliations

Sobotková, Eva
  • Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic.
Kopec, Tomáš
  • Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic.
Mikule, Vladimír
  • Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic.
Kuřitková, Dana
  • Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The contact author has declared that none of the authors has any competing interests.

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