We have been involved in the horse racing business for about 30 years and probably like you wondered why even the best sires have so many moderate performers even when mated with great racetrack mares. Or why a mare with which is thought to have ordinary breeding and racetrack performances can produce a champion. In the past we have attempted to breed our own racehorses with little success like a great deal of other people. We have seen huge amounts of money paid at yearling sales both Standardbred and Thoroughbred for horses that on face value look certain winners, only to find out later that they were blessed with little or no ability.

In the past we and our friends have bred or purchased horses based on the old tried and true methods of Line and In Breeding, Breed the Best to the best and hope for the best, Golden Crosses and so on again with no real success. This led us into the very interesting and still unfolding world of genetics. For many years the breeding experts have known that the genes passed on from the sire and the dam to the resultant foal are mostly responsible for the horses racetrack ability, but were unsure of the origins of the performance associated genetic links.

In 1993 we started our research into the various sources of information around the world and have we believe we have been able to establish where the elusive genetic sources are located in both the sire and the dams pedigrees with the assistance of our unique computer based breeding analysis system. Our system can identify the genetic pool from which any horse will draw its potential gene transfer from its Sire and Dam. It can also pinpoint the genetic links of all horses including the champions of today and yesteryear. Armed with this information we can identify what in actual fact is a quality link and more importantly what is not a quality link.

The genes responsible for the transfer of performance factors such as large heart size are carried on the X chromosome or the female chromosome, X chromosomes can be passed on from mother to son, mother to daughter and father to daughter but NOT father to son. This could explain why a mare could produce a good male but not always a quality female for either racing or breeding. This is where the average breeder must be careful in their choice of stallion as he has the potential to carry the dominant X Chromosome and in turn cause the mare's X chromosome to be the recessive gene when a filly is conceived. What is of paramount importance is that the sire enhances the mare's genetic qualities NOT the other way round. We feel this why so many sires do not perform because they do not have an affinity with the genetic makeup of the broodmares and why so many exported sires fail to live up to expectations.

During the 1950s an Australian, Professor James Steel started researching the "X Factor" in relation to the heart score and he was convinced that the mare would influence the progeny's heart score twice as much as the sire. He also felt that the speed of the individual horse was influenced more by the dam than the sire of the horse.

However he was sure that he discovered the heart score of the horse is an attribute which is highly heritable and was passed on via the X chromosome links which could come from six major sources within the pedigree of the Sire and the Dam.

Thus the need for as many as possible good links in the mares genetic makeup or the sires in the case of a filly to enhance the possibility of attaining a good X chromosome source. The fact remains that until some form of DNA or Genetic markers are able to be traced by scientists, the exact source of the X chromosome carrying the performance traits is unclear. Until this information is made available we need to assess all potential X chromosome sources.

This is also important when assessing the soundness of a breed, as there are many that are now convinced unsoundness can also be highly heritable. This aspect of horse selection must be considered of paramount importance as a cocktail of a genetically unsound sire and dam can render the resultant horse almost useless as a racehorse. When you consider the history of the Standardbred the old theories just do not hold up. There appears to be just too many sires that have produced some great horses granted, but on face value produce many, many more ordinary horses. This adds further credence to the fact that many mares do not have the genetic capacity to produce a successful horse and further more, many stallions also are lacking in quality X chromosome which they will pass on to their filly foals.

While the transfer of performance enhanced genes via the X chromosome from the female is still a hypothesis at this stage; it is one of the most studied equine theories in the world at present with on going research in America, France, Germany and Great Britain. The equine genetic team at the University of Kentucky headed by Dr Gus Cothran and Dr Kathryn Graves with the assistance of UK pathologist Thomas Swerczek and American equine cardiologist Dr Frederick Fregin have been researching equine genetic transfer for many years.

Perhaps only now is it becoming increasingly clear why the Standardbred has taken so long to improve as a breed. When you consider that the great Dan Patch paced a mile in 1.56 at the Red Mile in Lexington in 1904, a record that stood until another great horse Billy Direct posted a 1.55 again at the Red Mile track in 1938 it highlights what a long haul it has been. As a matter of interest Billy Direct's record stood for more than two decades and amazingly on the same meeting of Billy Direct's record breaking performance, Greyhound trotted a mile in 1.55¼ and that record would stand for some 38 years. It took the likes of the mighty Niatross in 1980 to break the 1.50 mile barrier when he paced a mile in 1.49.2. Genetically the Standardbred has taken almost 100 years to improve some 8 or 9 seconds at it's best.

When you think of the advances in training methods, track conditions, feed regimes, racing gear and veterinary care over the years one could be excused for questioning the reason why it has taken so long for the breed to evolve.

It would be foolish to think that just because a horse has exceptional genetic links that he or she will be a champion, as there are many factors that make up the truly great racehorse such as the temperament of the sire and the dam, courage, will to win, being well trained and fed, good conformation, soundness etc.

Rest assured however the hit miss breeding methods of the past just do not work and this is emphasised by the winner to foal ratios of some of the top stallions around the world.

If you are serious about breeding we suggest you give serious consideration to a breeding methodology that has the potential to completely revolutionise the breeding industry, as we know it.