The Alchemy’s well performed resident sire Dan De Lago continues to provide winners week in and week out and the son of champion Australian sire Encosta De Lago (also responsible for sire sensation Northern Meteor and Whisky Baron’s sire Manhattan Rain) looks to have a smart 3yo to his name in the form of La Bastide.

The latter, who was bred by last season’s champion breeders, Klawervlei Stud, made an eye catching debut at Turffontein on Thursday when winning cosily, by 1.1 lengths, over 1160m –beating, among others, the blue blooded Australian bred daughter of Fastnet Rock, and favourite, Quick Glimpse.

La Bastide, who is out of the Fort Wood mare Auberge, is inbred to the great mare Fairy Bridge, through her sons Fairy King and Sadler’s Wells.

Other recent winners for the classic winning Dan De Lago include the progressive sort Tendre, who won two in a row recently before finishing a close second at his most recent outing.

Dan De Lago, whose relatives include charismatic Australian star Subzero and champion sire Marscay, won or placed in 10 of 15 outings, with his wins including the G2 Gold Circle Derby.

(Interestingly enough, Dan De Lago’s relative Curved Ball was also represented by a debut winner at Turffontein on Thursday, with the former Dingaans winner’s son Seerite winning first time out over 1400 metres).

Dan De Lago’s dam, The Golden Dane, was a stakes winning racemare who finished second in the G1 Flight Stakes, and she is a daughter of the great sire Danehill who is also broodmare sire of current sire sensations Frankel and Siyouni.