I know that the journalists and quite a few business people will be aware of the following service but for those that aren't ...

The search engine GOOGLE provides a free service for people who want to receive the latest news updates (across all global media). You can quite easily track your horses using the same service. For example, if I wanted to track the racing success of Fastnet Rock I would do the following:

1. Go to Google

2. Click on the "News" link directly above the search term field.

3. Click on the link called News Alerts on the left-hand side navigation menu.
Enter your search terms in the field provided (if you're familiar with using Boolean operators such as AND or OR in your search terms you can also use these to prevent receiving unrelated items e.g. if you wanted to track only the stories that discussed overseas race plans for the horse you would enter: Fastnet Rock AND Royal Ascot; alternatively if you want to track the trainer and the horse you would enter: Fastnet Rock AND Perry)

4. Choose the type

5. Choose the frequency ("as it happens" is recommended)

6. Enter your email address

It's that easy! You will then begin to receive emails anytime the horse/person (or event) you are interested in makes the news.

You can also create an account with Google so that you can manage your alerts and remove them if you no longer wish to receive them. Again, this is a free service.

For smaller stables/stud farms and owners it is a very easy tool (and an inexpensive one given it doesn't cost a cent) to track whether horses you own/train/breed or sell - or are just plain interested in - make the news. It is also a very useful tool for competitor analysis (and/or to keep tabs on any of your well-to-do owners who make the press on occasion).

PS - and just think, if you hadn't signed up for the Fastnet Rock news alerts you would have missed the article in the Wodonga Border Mail (in addition to the ones in the Age, The Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, Herald Sun, FoxSports, Sportinglife.com, Virtual Formguide etc etc etc)!