Why objective assessment of racing potential?

Objective assessment of a horse’s racing potential, and its proven ability of identifying Gr1 winners, is possible on the basis of a number of key understandings:

• All top performing race horses share some common and specific physiological traits. We have developed analytical tools that are able to identify and assess characteristics that significantly affects a horse’s ability to perform at Gr1 level.

• We also know that any Gr1 winner is well-balanced; good conformation or the prevalence of genetic markers do not substitute, for example, a poor and ineffective heart.

There is therefore a strong case for applying objective assessment of racing potential (to ensure no efforts or resources are spent on horses that will not perform), doing this in a systematic manner over time (utilising the statistical strengths of our predictive tools and minimise the reliance on random chance), and use our tools in combination (a statistically powerful way of very selectively target potential Gr1 winners).

Additional tools for race horse selection and monitoring

These might be used in different ways, for example as a basis for particular and targeted investment strategies, or complement our assessment in identifying and monitoring performance of race horses during their selection, training and racing career. The benefits provided are several, including minimising ownership period if the horse does not develop as expected early on, optimise a horse’s racing career by giving it the best opportunity to win on the most suitable distance and track, and optimise value by identifying peak values. Proprietary tools include:

• Video endoscopy - examination of the upper airway function.

• Wind Test® - breathing efficiency analysis whereby patented equipment and procedure accurately measures breathing time in horses racing at high speed. Horses which are unable to breath efficiently and have limited performance potential can be sold early to avoid unnecessary training costs. Also used to diagnose upper airway pathologies that ultimately will limit a horse’s racing career.

• Effort Rating - analysis of metabolic energy production that allow us to determine if energy is produced in an optimal way for a Gr1 horse. The test does for example allow to determine if a horse has run at their peak capacity.

• Motion analysis - accelerometer test that measures the power a horse develops when running at a high speed. Allows the detection of horses that run inefficiently and lack Gr1 potential.

• Fatigue curves - analysis of split times. The way horses get tired when racing, which is reflected in the split times during the first races as 2-year olds, is highly predictive of future Gr1 performance. The analysis is based on tens of thousands of races in the US and is principally used to identify horses with Gr1 winning potential for private purchase during a racing season.