CONGRATULATIONS to John O’Brien in Co Limerick who bred the winner of this year’s King George VI Chase in Might Bite. The son of Scorpion (Montjeu) is the second foal and second Grade 1 winner for his point-to-point winning dam Knotted Midge (Presenting). She won that race by 30 lengths in the hands of no less a star pilot than JT McNamara.

Both Grade 1 winners are trained by Nicky Henderson, the other being Beat That (Milan) who accounted for Cole Harden and Don Poli to win Grade 1 races at Aintree and Punchestown. Those victories came in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Liverpool and the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle in Ireland.

Might Bite is now winner of nine of his 14 starts, adding the Grade 1 Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree to his victory in the Grade 1 RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham back in March. Now he has a third with his impressive Kempton success.

Knotted Midge has gone on to produce two more sons of Milan, a three-year-old gelding and a yearling colt. The latter was sold as a foal to Brian Delahunt for what now looks a bargain €21,000 at Tattersalls Ireland. At the time of his sale Might Bite was a hurdle winner. This year Knotted Midge produced her first filly, a daughter of Walk In The Park (Montjeu), and she is bred on a similar cross to the Henderson star.

Knotted Midge is a full-sister to the useful Drombeag (Presenting) who won the Christies Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham for Enda Bolger, so the family has had two Cheltenham Festival winners in the most recent generations. Drombeag and Knotted Midge are out of the unraced Bula Beag (Brush Aside) and she is also dam of the graded-placed chaser Dushybeag (Dushyantor), a winner for Michael Hourigan.

Bula Beag is a half-sister to the bumper, hurdle and point-to-point winner Bula Vogue (Phardante) and at stud she is dam of the Grade 2 winning chaser Jamies Choice (Flemensfirth). Bula Beag is out of Bulabos (Proverb) and she was placed many times over fences, but between the flags she was successful five times.

The former Coolmore NH sire Scorpion moved to stand at Peter Hockenhull’s Shade Oak Stud this year and he will again cover for next season at £3,000.

Might Bite is his outstanding performer, but the triple Group 1 classic winner is also sire of another pair of winners at the highest level over jumps. Don’t Touch It captured the Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, while Scorpiancer is a dual Grade 1 winner over hurdles in the USA.

Other smart winning progeny of Scorpion include Grade 2 winning hurdler Jack The Wire, Sir Scorpion, The Nipper, Give Me A Break and Tell Us More. The latter was runner-up in the Grade 1 Slaney Novice Hurdle.

Scorpion was bred by the late John Colleran’s Grangemore Stud and as a three-year-old he won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Doncaster St Leger for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

As a four-year-old he added the Group 1 Coronation Cup. He was also runner-up in a pair of classic races, the Budweiser Irish Derby and The Irish Field St Leger. Retiring to stud with earnings of almost £960,000, his offspring have won almost £2.6 million and this season he is among the top 10 leading living sires under National Hunt rules.