Michael Goodbody is the managing director of Gainsborough Stud Management near Newbury, England. He delivered the following speech to the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) at its annual awards dinner in London on Jan. 7.

I would now like to touch on the important points that breeders should consider when planning to mate their mares with the object of producing high-class racehorses.

All mare matings should be basically designed with an appreciation for genetics. First and foremost we seek genetic compatibility with matching sire and dam. Without the compatibility between the strains we would be unable to upgrade the progeny’s performance levels, constitution, and physique. Unfortunately for all racehorse breeders, a multitude of weak hidden genes exists in the Thoroughbred gene pool; weak, recessive genes are present in the best Thoroughbred strains found in Europe and North America. Only by the use of clever selection skills may we keep this problem in check. Genetic probability affects all matings and may be kind or cruel, and Thoroughbred breeders must accept the whims of genetic variation