One of the country’s most underrated sires, The Scott Brothers’ USA-bred Storm Cat stallion Mogok, had the fourth Gr 1 winner of his career when the Mike de Kock-trained Wild One stormed home on Saturday to convert favouritism in the country’s premier staying race, the eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m.

Mogok was originally owned and bred by the one of the world’s most prominent racing families, the Niarchos’s.

The Scott Brothers seized an opportunity to bring in a stallion with a magnificent international pedigree when noticing Mogok up for auction on a French Sale as an unraced two-year-old.

The Niarchos family are known for their high quality band of broodmares. The Scotts had also noticed Mogok had been given two wind operations before attempts to race him were abandoned. Therefore, they knew the connections must have thought a lot of him.

Another bonus was that, as a mere two-year-sold, he would have a long stud career ahead of him. Indeed, despite having already thrown eleven crops, he is now only 15 years of age, so has a good few seasons still left in him.

At the time of Mogok’s purchase, Storm Cat was one of the most expensive stallion s in the world at around $400,000 a service with no guaranteed return.

His female line was even more attractive. Mogok is a half-brother to Machiavellian, who was one of the leading sires in Europe. His third dam is Natalma. The dam of the possibly most influential sire in the history of the thoroughbred breed, Northern Dancer

Mogok is also a half-brother to two French-based Gr 1 winners, Exit To Nowhere and Coup de Genie.

Furthermore, close to the time of the Scotts’ purchase, Mogok’s family produced a winner of one of the world’s most prestigious races, the Gr 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with the Niarchos-bred Nashwan colt Bago.

Robin Scott pointed out breeding was not an exact science, “it’s luck”, and what separated a good stallion from the also rans was that when a big horse was produced they were “very big.”

However, in Robin’s opinion, Mogok could well have been a champion sire if standing in the Cape, where the mares are of superior quality.

Mogok has not only produced four Gr 1 winners from the lesser KZN mares, but two of them have taken on some of the best in the world and beaten them. His daughter Gypsy’s Warning won a Gr 1 in the USA, while The Apache won the prestigious Gr 1 Arlington Million, beating many international Gr 1 winners, before being demoted to second after an objection. The Apache also finished second in two Gr 1s in Dubai, having earlier won a Gr 2 there.

Yet Robin is of the belief that the big, strong and rangy Mogok colt Orbison, who downed the like of Pocket Power and Bold Silvano when winning the Gr 1 Champions Cup of 2010, was even better than The Apache. Unfortunately, Orbison broke down in Dubai and never raced again after leaving South African shores.

Wild One has benefitted from a long layoff and is at present as sound as a bell. His versatility has been displayed in his last three starts, finishing second in both the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m and the KZN Breeders Million Mile before winning the Gold Cup over 3200m. He is still lightly raced, despite being six-years-old, and looks to have a bright season ahead of him, although a lot could depend on the punishment the handicapper hands him for Saturday’s win.

Meanwhile, Scott Brothers have another blue-blooded formerly Niarchos-owned stallion standing on the farm, Eightfold Path. He is owned by the Chinese national Hui Guo. Eightfold Path is by six-time Gr 1 winner and three-time American champion sire Giant’s Causeway out of the European Champion Kingmambo mare Divine Proportions, who won five Gr 1 races in France. Guo has a few broodmares on the farm too and is likely to be looking ahead to when China unbans horseracing, which looks to soon become a reality.

ThereEightfold Path showed tremendous speed to win a Gr 3 over six furlongs as a two-year-old in France and after going wrong he came back to win a Listed event over a mile as a five-year-old. Robin believes he could become an important sprint stallion.

Mogok and Eightfold Path stand for bargain fees of R20,000 and R10,000 respectively.

However, Robin did divulge that he would likely be more selective with the mares he accepts for Mogok this season.

Robin and his brother Des have a proud history in breeding over nearly a half-a-century and are seldom out of the news. Their success is based on a combination of careful stallion selection and a high quality broodmare band. On top of the imported stallions, they have also brought in excellent pedigreed mares from USA and Europe.

The first of these imported mares was Ofa (Ribot), who produced the mighty Durban July and dual J&B Met winner Politician. Others were Carnet De Dance (Dance In Time), who went on to produce July and Dubai Duty Free winner Ipi Tombe, and Northern Banner (Nothern Dancer), who produced July-winner Teal.

By David Thiselton

Picture: eLan Property Group Gold Cup winner Wild One (Nkosi Hlophe)