Black type has become meaningless - so why is it gospel in the bloodstock world?
The sales season continues apace at this time of year and by the end of the month the focus will have moved on to mares, with the catalogue for the Tattersalls December Mares Sale revealing around 1,500 lots will be on offer.
Black type is a key part of this catalogue, and indeed any sales catalogue, in which each lot is represented by a pedigree, specifically the performances of the descendants of first, second and third dams with the names of those who won or were placed in black-type races (Group, Graded and Listed) bolded up. The better the pedigree, the blacker the page looks.
It's no wonder, therefore, that achieving black type is seen as crucial for a mare, with connections often saying during a season that they hope a certain horse can make the frame and pick up some black type.
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