Scientists Clone Champion Racehorse

Scientists have cloned a champion racehorse for the first time. The foal, born in February, is the world's first stallion clone, and the first clone from a sterile animal.

Professor Cesare Galli, who oversaw its creation, announced the birth of Pieraz-Cryozootech at his laboratory near Milan, Italy, yesterday.

The stallion was cloned from Pieraz, an Arab gelding which won the world endurance race championship in 1994 and in 1996.

Pieraz-Cryozootech, or Pieraz 2, is only the second horse to be cloned, and was created from skin cells taken from the former champion.

DNA from the cells was transferred to egg cells emptied of their genetic material, before the resulting embryos were implanted into the wombs of surrogate mares.

Prof Galli said the birth was a breakthrough because Pieraz was - like most horses that dominate showjumping - a gelding, and therefore infertile.

He said: "What we have done is create a clone of a gelding that is a stallion, to preserve the genetic heritage of an exceptional champion."