Unravelling the impact Might Bite's pedigree has on his eccentric genius

Hold on to your woolly hats and Christmas cracker crowns, ladies and gentlemen as Might Bite - arguably the most exciting and unpredictable chaser in training - is set to breeze into the spotlight once again when he tackles the King George on Tuesday.

He has won his last five completed starts and was all set to be a wide-margin winner of the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase when falling at Kempton 12 months ago to the day. However, despite repeatedly displaying his immense ability, his defining moment remains his attempt to take in a victory lap of Cheltenham's Guinness Village en route to RSA Chase success.

It was an episode that showcased his brilliance at its most bonkers, when he threw away a commanding advantage gained after a bold and brazen display of galloping and jumping, only to rally and poke his head back in front on the stride that mattered most.

We are repeatedly told that horses are not machines, a fact that is hard to dispute, and when these mercurial talents come along and break from the norm we can't help but be captivated.

We will never really know what goes through a horse's mind, least of all a quicksilver talent like Might Bite. But we can be certain about almost every horse's pedigree, and a look at Might Bite's lineage reveals some interesting elements that, perhaps, go some way to explaining this enigmatic, idiosyncratic character.

His sire, Scorpion, is a three-time Group 1-winning son of the noted conduit of class and stamina Montjeu. Those characteristics have helped the great son of Sadler's Wells make a significant impact as a sire of sires in the National Hunt sphere, with sons such as Walk In The Park, Authorized, Montmartre and, of course, Scorpion all having supplied multiple top-flight winners over jumps.

Scorpion, who was controversially ridden by Frankie Dettori while still retained rider for Godolphin, wins the 2005 St LegerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Another trait that Montjeu has been known to impart, on occasions, is a temperamental streak. The son of Sadler's Wells tended to display his quirky side before his races rather than during them, although the same has not always been true of his progeny.

The latent talent of the likes of Chicquita, Papal Bull and Albisola was laced with unruliness, with the phrases "threw it away", "outbattled" and "reluctant to race swishing tail and lost ten lengths" appearing among the trio's in-running comments on the Racing Post database.

Admittedly Scorpion never showed anything quite so malicious, but the proximity of Montjeu in Might Bite's pedigree could be seen as an influence for the odd bit of roguish behaviour. Indeed Scorpion's progeny have developed a reputation for having their quirks, but there are plenty of recent results that suggest such assertions may have been made prematurely.

Big things were expected when Scorpion took up stud duty at the Castle Hyde branch of Coolmore in 2008. His first book contained 234 mares, and breeders were so impressed by those debut crops that in 2012 he was the busiest sire in Britain or Ireland with a staggering book of 348 mares.

But agents and trainers can be an impatient bunch, and by the time three of Scorpion's racing age crops had hit the track questions were being asked about the temperament of his progeny.

The 2016 breeding season proved to be Scorpion's last at Castle Hyde, and he covered just 21 mares before being moved on to his current home at Peter Hockenhull's Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire.

But in April of that year Scorpion supplied his first Grade 1 winner with his second-crop son Don't Touch It, who defeated the likes of Petit Mouchoir, Brain Power and Yorkhill to win the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Don't Touch It wins the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle to give Scorpion a first Grade 1 winnerCredit: Patrick McCann

The point that Don't Touch It's victory alluded to was soon emphasised by, among others, Might Bite, who is from Scorpion's very first crop. That is: when it comes to Scorpion, patience is key. Those who kept the faith are now reaping the rewards.

Among that number is Nicky Henderson, who, in a recent interview on Might Bite, said: "He's by a sire I like but Scorpions need time and you have to be very careful to avoid pushing them too hard. A lot of it is about kidology."

In December alone Scorpion has supplied smart novice chase winner The Nipper, upwardly mobile hurdler Dark Sunset, rapidly progressing chaser Play The Ace - who has now won his last four starts, dual novice hurdle winner Station Master and wide-margin chase winner Black Scorpion. All are aged six or over and are examples of patience being rewarded.

There is also another line further back in Might Bite's pedigree that may account for any surplus fire in his belly, as he is inbred 5x5 to Alleged, a stallion whose sire sons such as Flemensfirth, Shantou and Sir Harry Lewis have made a deep impact on the National Hunt sphere. Dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Alleged is a stallion who, by all accounts, would have made Montjeu and his progeny look rather mild mannered.

Alleged, ridden by Lester Piggott, before winning the 1977 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Alleged descends from Ribot, a stallion whose temper is said to have reached such fierce levels that no insurance company would offer a policy to cover him when he was due to be shipped back to Europe at the conclusion of his five-year lease to Kentucky farm Darby Dan during the 1960s.

There is a steadying hand in Might Bite's pedigree, however. His dam, Knotted Midge - an Irish maiden point winner and sister to Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Drombeag - is a daughter of the late, great Glenview Stud stalwart Presenting.

Having landed four National Hunt sires' titles, Presenting's qualities are well established, but this season he has found a new way to assert his influence on the jumps sphere, with rising stars such as Death Duty, Rathvinden and Presenting Percy all being out of his daughters.

If Montjeu, through Scorpion, brings a touch of eccentric genius to the melting pot that is Might Bite, then Presenting looks the perfect ingredient to keep him on the straight and narrow. Presenting climbed to the top of the National Hunt stallion ranks courtesy of his ability to regularly impart an ample dose of toughness, an aptitude for slick jumping and a healthy measure of sheer class, qualities that Might Bite displays in abundance.

Nature or nurture? An eternal conundrum that is as pertinent in the bloodstock world as in any other. And in Might Bite we have a copybook example of why achieving an equilibrium between the two is the secret to success when it comes to thoroughbreds.

With a family that highlights the zeitgeist of National Hunt pedigrees, and under the care of a master of his craft so adept at harnessing the powers contained with it, Might Bite looks poised to prove himself a chaser for the ages.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like...

Presenting the case for a jumps broodmare sire of growing importance

Progressive Spinner gives Black Sam Bellamy a maiden Grade 1 winner

Round-up of 2018 prices for sires in Britain and Ireland