Can you engineer the perfect racehorse?

Analysis: genetics, environment and equine psychology all play a role in the quest for equine excellence

Whether it be Celtic folklore, student race days, or the muddy trenches of a local point to point, horses are an intrinsic part of Irish culture. Ireland has produced some of the world's most prolific equine talents: Galileo, Arkle and, of course Tiger Roll, the subject of RTE's latest audio series Tiger Roll the People's Horse.

But just how do we manage to churn out champions? Is it our lush green grass, the litany of talented trainers, or simply the luck of the Irish?

In 2009 Professor Emmeline Hill, lecturer in equine science at UCD and chief science officer for equine science company Plusvital, discovered the speed gene. Mutations in the myostatin gene have been shown to have major effects on muscle type in dogs, cattle, pigs, and sheep. Hill hypothesised that the myostatin gene might have a similar effect in thoroughbreds. "Using this gene we can make a very strong prediction about how a horse is likely to perform at different distances". She was right.

We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage PreferencesFrom RTÉ Podcasts, introducing Tiger Roll: The People's Horse, the remarkable story of the Irish racehorse who has won two Aintree Grand Nationals back-to-back and five times at the Cheltenham Festival.

Hill explains that there are three possible genetic types for the speed gene: CC, CT, and TT, which are the combinations of the DNA in the myostatin gene inherited from the parents. CC horses are most suited to sprint