12 November 2010

Research published by official Japanese racing laboratory supports Equinome Speed Gene Test

Scientists at the Laboratory of Racing Chemistry (LRC) in Japan have published a study that confirms a region near the myostatin gene associated with racing performance in Japanese Thoroughbreds. The study found three genetic markers associated with lifetime earnings and performance ranks, as determined by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Japan.

One of these is the marker that is used in the Equinome Speed Gene Test. The relationship with elite performance parameters may be explained by the particular requirement in Japan for horses to have performed optimally over short distances as two-year-olds in order to progress to the more valuable races as three-year-olds.

The principal scientist at the LRC, Dr Teruaki Tozaki said, "It is expected that the three genetic markers may be included as genetic diagnostic markers for racing performance measures. Importantly, our study supports the research by University College Dublin's Dr Emmeline Hill that earlier this year identified a genetic marker in myostatin as a predictor of best race distance."

The scientific data supporting the discovery have been peer-reviewed and published this week in a scientific paper entitled ‘A genome wide association study for racing performance in Thoroughbreds clarified a candidate region near MSTN gene' in the scientific journal Animal Genetics.

Dr Teruaki continued, "The study performed in Japan supports the genetic test provided by Equinome, which will assist the bloodstock industry to maximise the genetic potential of each Thoroughbred horse. We anticipate that the Equinome Speed Gene test will be made available in Japan in the near future."

Dr Emmeline Hill, co-founder of Equinome said, "Independent validation of scientific studies is crucial to the integrity of the development of genetic tests that will have real value in breeding, racing and selection decisions. The study by Dr Teruaki and colleagues at the LRC is a thorough and robust study that has further contributed to the scientific merit of our test."

The scientific paper is available to view on the Animal Genetics website: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02095.x/abstract