EQUINE science company Plusvital benefited from national mainstream media coverage this week thanks to a breakthrough discovery on the inner workings of the so-called ‘speed gene’ in thoroughbred racehorses.

Eight years ago the ‘speed gene’ first came to prominence when Prof Emmeline Hill of UCD spin-off comapny Equinome launched a DNA-test which claimed to be highly predictive of optimum race distance for thoroughbreds.

The test was adopted by some leading industry players worldwide and two years ago Equinome was acquired by Mike Shelly’s Plusvital.

Prof Hill is now Plusvital’s chief science officer and this week, in collaboration with scientists from Trinity College an UCD, she revealed the mechanism by which the ‘speed gene’ controls muscle growth in the thoroughbred by limiting production of the myostatin protein.

The research shows that differences in muscle growth and muscle fibre-type development are caused by genetic differences resulting in the variation in distance preference among horses.

Speaking on RTE Radio, Prof Hill expanded: “Our research has identified the mutation that causes this effect on horses. When a large chunk of DNA is inserted in a particular portion of the gene it affects a molecular switch and that changes the amount of protein made in the muscle and that then affects muscle growth.

“Horses that have this mutation have greater muscle mass and are better sprinters. Horses who don’t are better suited to longer distances.”

Prof Hill added: “This new research unambiguously demonstrates a direct link between cause and effect of the speed gene. A simple DNA test can have a major impact on success by placing horses in the most suitable races according to their genetic profile, which cannot be accurately established from pedigree analysis. It removes the guesswork that is an ongoing conversation among trainers about their horses.”