All British thoroughbred racehorses, including Polymelus, are descended from three stallions – the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk.
Research by a team of scientists suggests that a variant of the so-called speed gene found in top racehorses can be traced back to a single British mare living around 300 years ago. That mare may have had a similar genetic make-up to today's sturdy native ponies.