Bargains likely at Scott Bros dispersal

Scott Bros, among the top 10 breeders in SA for 50 years, will be dispersing bloodstock stabled at their Highdown Stud in Nottingham Road on Tuesday.

The Scotts introduced a depth of foundation mares into the stud book and the sale offers opportunities to tap into quality winner-producing bloodlines.

The 147-strong catalogue is made up of weanlings, yearlings and broodmares.

“Considering the economic climate, I don’t think ours will be a high-priced sale. There will be value among the weanlings in particular,” said Robin Scott.

“Most of them would have been going from the farm to the national yearling sale next year. We normally have about 15-20 in the national catalogue. They will be sold for way below the value they’d have as yearlings.”

Neville Scott, an agriculture student and farmer, bought Highdown Farm in the early 1960s. His brothers, Des and Robin, acquired it in 1968 and developed Highdown Stud, responsible over the years for such great runners as Durban July winners Devon Air and Ilustrador, international star The Apache and the dams of toplevel performers Teal, Ipi Tombe and Politician.

“Des and I were in the commercial field. We were shoe salesmen. We owned the old Scott’s Stores and at the time we took over Highdown we had dreams for the farm but we never thought it would grow so big,” said Robin.

Robin celebrated his 84th birthday recently and Des is 90. “We are getting on,” laughed Robin. “We have had many long, productive years in this industry, but the time has come to round things up. We can’t keep going forever.”

Highdown’s resident stallions Mogok and The Apache will remain at the farm, but their recently acquired sire, Crusade, has moved to Peter Blyth’s neighbouring Clifton Stud.

There is an eight-race programme at Durbanville on Tuesday, at which Cohiba Allday (race 3) and Gimme A Cohiba (race 5) are interesting runners. They are owned by the Cigar Syndicate comprising Johannesburg advocate Koos Pieterse and a group of friends who all enjoy cigars and had their silks designed in the colours of what used to be Cuban president Fidel

Castro’s favourite brand. Both runners are trained by Brett Crawford, who considered both to have each-way chances.