International Racehorse Magazine: Mogok(USA) Mogok(USA) emerges along the paved road amongst the green manicured lawns of the great Highdown Stud owned by brothers Robin and Des Scott. You hear him arriving before you see the impressive stallion with his almost black gleaming coat, his enthusiastic strides with swinging hips that indicate tenaciousness - Mogok could be heard marching up the driveway along with his loud cries as he expects a mare for cover. This is his 10th season at stud, he has already covered over 100 mares in 2013, with quite a number of late arrivals booked before the breeding season ends. Highdown Stud, established some 47 years ago and located in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, has been breeding some of South Africa’s leading racehorses such as Politician and standing champion sires including the great Foveros and Jungle Cove amongst others. It is a fertile breeding ground which has left a deep impression on the South African Stud book. A striking dark bay stallion with a white blaze, fiery eyes and pricked ears, Mogok’s regal pedigree backs up his athleticism and good looks; he oozes outstanding quality. It is not surprising – he is the best performed son of Storm Cat at stud in South Africa and a half-brother to another international great – Machiavellian – the sire of the likes of Medicean and Street Cry. Named after a city in Burma, Mogok has the rare honour of being one of the few stallions standing in South Africa to have sired three locally bred and international Group winning and performed racehorses, two of them bred by the Scott Bros themselves. The first to make an impression was Gypsy’s Warning – bred by Michael and Tanya McHardy of Rathmor Stud. The second is a magnificent dark bay entire named The Apache and another son in Singapore named Meteor Mike, again bred by Scott Bros, placing in the Singapore TC Lion City Cup, a Singapore Gr 1, and the Garden City Trophy Singapore Gr 3. Yet another Gr 1 winner bred by Scott Bros - Orbison won the Gr 1 Champions Cup in South Africa and was sent onto Dubai. “Orbison defeated the great Pocket Power in the Gr 1 Champions Cup – that’s how good he was,” says Robin of Orbison’s talent. “It is a great pity he was denied a Dubai campaign due to injury as he had undoubted ability, we had high expectations for his local racing career. “You probably only get a good horse every 5 - 10 years…we had four good horses within three years, and they all went overseas!” Robin talks about acquiring the quality son of Storm Cat: “Mogok has an exceptional pedigree, bred by the Niarchos family from one of the best of their band of quality broodmares. He is the son of Storm Cat who at the peak of his career stood for US$500 000, no return. Mogok’s dam Coup De Folie, by Halo, represents one of the strongest families in the international Stud book. She is the dam of Machiavellian and her third dam is Natalma, the dam of Northern Dancer who has been the greatest influence on the Stud book than any other stallion in our modern era. Mogok is in-bred to Northern Dancer. “There are three qualities in stallion selection – pedigree, conformation and performance. Generally if a stallion has all three, we can’t afford them. When my brother Des received a call from a friend, the French bloodstock agent Bernard St Seine, who mentioned a quality horse was catalogued as an unraced three year old, he suggested Mogok would be a good buy for us. We purchased Mogok on pedigree and conformation. The third requisite – performance – would have put him out of reach, and more than likely not for sale.” Standing his first season in 2003, Mogok has never looked back. He is now the sire of 352 progeny to race, 202 winners (57.0%), earnings of over $6.6 million with 11 stakes winners and 15 stakes place getters. Mogok’s first international taste of Group 1 success came from Rathmor Stud – another KZN-bred horse in Gypsy’s Warning. The bay mare achieved five wins in South Africa and two wins in USA. Gypsy's Warning originally sold for R170 000 at 2007 Emperor's Palace National Yearling Sale. Gypsy’s Warning won over distances of 1200 - 1800 metres, including the SA Fillies Classic Grade 1, Thekwini Fillies Stakes Grade 1 under the care of Duncan Howells. In America, under ownership of Team Valor and trained by Graham Motion, she took home the Matriarch Stakes Grade 1, Acacia Handicap Grade 3 and Eatontown Handicap Grade 3. She placed seven times - her South African placings including a third in the Golden Slipper Grade 1, the Woolavington 2000 Grade 1, Empress Club Stakes Grade 1, the Ipi Tombe Challenge Grade 2, and the Strelitzia Stakes Grade 3. Her American placings included the Beverly D Stakes Grade 1, and the Yellow Ribbon Stakes Grade 1, as well as a third in the Miss Liberty Listed Stakes. Sold at the 2011 Keeneland November sale for $1.05 million, she was purchased by Flaxman Holdings – the breeders of Mogok. Out of Bold-Black type producing mare Gypsy Queen by Royal Chalice, Gypsy’s Warning earned a total of US$512,912. Her first foal produced in the USA is by Street Cry (by Machiavellian). The Apache carries a pure Scott Bros pedigree - and one that could stand on any farm, anywhere in the world. His third dam was Bold West, a Gr 1 Gilbey’s Stakes winning filly bred by Robin and Des Scott by one of their champion sires – Jungle Cove. She established her own dynasty at Highdown Stud, among them Apache Rose by Dolpour – the dam of The Apache. Apache Rose went onto have four wins and eight places before retiring to stud, where she has produced four winners. In a very sad twist of fate, Apache Rose aged just 14, passed away in March this year in foal to Mogok. “If you are going to lose a horse, it will always be your best horse,” Robin admits philosophically. “It is sad that of theb150 mares we stand here, and one with international acclaim - that she died within a week of The Apache winning in Dubai. It was a very cruel blow.” He adds: “We have retained The Apache’s full-sister Bold Pocahontas, she will go to Gavin Van Zyl to train as Gavin trained The Apache for Hong Kong owner Winston Chow.” The Apache sold for a mere R80 000 (US$ 8, 000) at the National Two Year Old Sale, a year later taking home the Equus Award for Champion 3YO Colt/Gelding in 2011. A foal described at two days old as: ‘stands over ground, has a good girth and an upside down neck’, Robin goes onto talk about the great dark bay: “It has been well documented what we sold The Apache for. It is my belief that when they leave the sales ring regardless of what they sold for, they go back to square one. The racecourse test is the best – that is my slogan. That is what qualifies the best from the rest.” Now a seven-time winner over distances from 1600m to 2000m, the KZN-bred has become a poster child for South African Thoroughbred breeding – having taken home over US$1, 520,000 in Stakes earned. Trained by Gavin Van Zyl in South Africa, The Apache won two Grade 1s – the Greyville Daily News 2000 Stakes and the Champions Cup. He also added the Dingaans Gr 2, and places in the London News Stakes Gr 3, Victory Moon Stakes Gr 2, the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, Gr 1 Summer Cup and in Africa’s biggest race, the Gr 1 Vodacom Durban July Handicap. The Apache sold out of the Van Zyl racing yard and joined South Africa’s master overseas campaigner Mike De Kock. After an arduous spell in quarantine and export due to South Africa’s rigorous African Horse Sickness travel protocols, The Apache got off to a scintillating start overseas by taking home the Gr 2 Al Rashidiya Stakes at Meydan and going onto a nail-biting finish in the Gr 1 Meydan Jebel Hatta and Gr 1 Dubai Duty Free. Trained by Mike De Kock overseas, The Apache transferred to England where he ran and placed in the Gr 2 York Stakes as preparation for the Arlington Million - where he was controversially denied the win, and put into second place after an objection was raised due to interference. “Watching the race we saw The Apache stay on resolutely to pass the post in first place” says Robin. “It was a disappointment for all concerned to have the decision reversed.” Mogok’s other Bold Black type progeny include the likes of Gr 2 Emerald Cup winner Meadow Magic, Cruso, Alcanina, Wild One, Island Retreat, Headofthehouse, Markofdistinction, Corpes Da Elite and Greenacre. At just 13 years of age, Mogok has achieved much at stud and we have high expectations for his future. *recent news update is that The Apache has been retired for stud duties. - written by Candiese Marnewick Article first featured in January edition of International Racehorse Magazine