A South African press release hit my desk yesterday - thought it was probably worth mentioning. A number of companies track black type performers - not all follow the Part Two of the International Cataloguing Standards as well as Part One, so this may be of interest to some people.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘Black Type’ has become the measure of bloodstock value in the bloodstock breeding industry. A new service called ‘BLACK TYPE TRACKER’ offers thoroughbred owners the opportunity to be kept informed of global black type performers/performances that feature in their mares/horses damlines.

The service monitors the damlines of clients’ horses on a daily basis and compares them with the damlines of the Stakes performers that become eligible for the approximately 13,000 awards of ‘Black Type’ that are listed in Part One of the annual International Cataloguing Standards. Countries qualifying for inclusion in Part One of the I.C.S. are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, the U.S.A., plus, there are specific races from other countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Scandinavia and Singapore which entitle them to Black Type according to the Part One criteria of the I.C.S.

Additionally, in light of the growing internationalism of racing ‘BLACK TYPE TRACKER’ will also monitor the Stakes races covered in Part Two of the International Cataloguing Standards – specifically for the countries Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, Puerto Rico, Scandanavia. Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. Even though the Stakes races from Part Two of the I.C.S. do not qualify for Black Type at major international sales, the knowledge that a damline is producing Stakes performers in those countries can prove an extremely valuable marketing tool for sellers of youngstock, horses in training, and breeding stock from all major bloodstock breeding nations whose bloodlines are now spread throughout the racing world.

Full details can be found at the Black Type Tracker website.

(Of note: Elvstroem got some free promotion - his photo appears on the website under the heading 'Product Sample')