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Equine veterinary journal2012; 45(4); 410-413; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00651.x

The association of age at first start with career length in the Australian Thoroughbred racehorse population.

Abstract: Studies of Thoroughbred racing populations have provided evidence of a positive effect on racing careers for horses that commence racing as 2-year-olds. Currently, research investigating the presence of this effect in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population is limited. Objective: To investigate the association between age at first start and career length in the Australian Thoroughbred population and estimate the risk of racing retirement for horses racing in Australia based on age at first start, career earnings, number of starts as a 2-year-old and distance raced. Methods: Data were collected for Thoroughbreds, born on or after 1 January 1998, that had raced between 1 August 2000 and 22 February 2011 in Australia. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve, stratified by age group, was produced for career length. A Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to assess factors influencing the risk of retirement from racing. The model included sex, age at first start, career earnings, number of starts as a 2-year-old, distance raced and appropriate interaction terms. Results: The study population included 117,088 horses. Geldings had significantly (P<0.001) longer careers than females and intact males, and females had significantly (P<0.001) longer careers than intact males. Risk of retirement from racing decreased with a younger age at first start, a higher number of starts as a 2-year-old, and a longer average distance raced. For intact males, the risk of retirement from racing increased as earnings increased, while for females and geldings the risk of retirement from racing decreased as earnings increased. Conclusions: The introduction of young Thoroughbreds to racing appears to have no apparent adverse effects on these horses racing in Australia. The impact of some risk factors associated with retirement from racing varied between sexes and should be considered when evaluating career outcomes.
© 2012 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2012-09-26 PubMed ID: 23009388DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00651.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 study explores the association of the age at which a Thoroughbred horse first starts racing with the length of its racing career in Australia. It concludes that early introduction to racing doesn’t seem to negatively impact the horse’s career in the country and various factors related to the horse’s retirement from racing are also sex-dependent.

Research Methodology

  • The data used for this study were collected for Thoroughbred horses, born on or after January 1, 1998, that raced between August 1, 2000, and February 22, 2011, in Australia.
  • A Kaplan-Meier survival curve, segregated by the age group, was created for understanding the career length of horses.
  • A Cox proportional hazard model was applied to assess factors influencing the risk of retirement from racing. The model considered several parameters, such as sex, age at the first race, career earnings, number of starts as a 2-year-old, and the average distance raced.

Key Findings

  • The population for the study consisted of 117,088 horses. It was found that geldings (castrated male horses) had significantly longer careers than females and intact males.
  • The data suggested a stark association between various factors and the risk of retirement from horse racing. A younger age at the first start, a higher frequency of starts at the age of 2 and a longer average distance raced leads to a lower risk of retirement from racing.
  • On the contrary, the earnings observed a different trend in terms of the risk of retirement from racing. For intact males, the risk of retirement increased as earnings increased. However, for females and geldings, the risk of retirement from racing decreased with more earnings.

Conclusions

  • The results suggest that starting racing early does not exhibit any apparent adverse effects on Thoroughbred horses in Australia.
  • The study also suggests the evaluation of career outcomes should be done with consideration of certain risk factors, such as sex, which showed a varied impact in terms of retirement from racing.

Cite This Article

APA
Velie BD, Knight PK, Thomson PC, Wade CM, Hamilton NA. (2012). The association of age at first start with career length in the Australian Thoroughbred racehorse population. Equine Vet J, 45(4), 410-413. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00651.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 45
Issue: 4
Pages: 410-413

Researcher Affiliations

Velie, B D
  • Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. brandon.velie@sydney.edu.au
Knight, P K
    Thomson, P C
      Wade, C M
        Hamilton, N A

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Australia
          • Female
          • Horses / physiology
          • Male
          • Physical Conditioning, Animal
          • Proportional Hazards Models
          • Running
          • Sports

          Citations

          This article has been cited 13 times.
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