The Horses Running in the Melbourne Cup are Descended from an Ancient Warrior Culture

In two weeks' time, Australia will stop for a few minutes to watch the winner of the Melbourne Cup gallop into history.

But the story of the horses in this race begins long before the powerful steeds spring out of the barriers.

The genes of these sleek thoroughbreds can be traced back 4,200 years to the grasslands between the Volga and Don Rivers in Russia.

This is where and when the ancestors of all modern horses, from flighty thoroughbreds to stocky workhorses, were first domesticated, according to a new study that claims to finally settle a longstanding mystery.

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ABC Science / By Genelle Weule