Highlands Stud’s well performed young stallion Potala Palace made the perfect start to his stud career when his very first runner won at the first time of asking. Two-year-old filly Watsonia trained by Alan Greeff, justified favouritism when winning the first maiden juvenile plate of the season on Friday.

Bred by Daytona Stud, Watsonia (who is closely inbred to Sadler’s Wells) ran on to score a neck win first time out over 800 metres at Fairview. Out of the Fort Wood mare Cape Floral, Watsonia was a R25 000 bargain buy from the 2017 KZN Yearling Sale.

She is the first runner for her G1 winning sire Potala Palace, a son of world champion racehorse and top sire Singspiel. The latter is responsible for numerous high class performers, including champion Solow, Breeders’ Cup winner Lahudood and French Oaks winner Confidential Lady.

Potala Palace, who is from the same family as the likes of Fairy King, Nureyev, Reform and Sadler’s Wells, earned over R600 000 on the track and won both the G1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and G3 Joburg Spring Challenge.

The handsome bay was also a good fourth to Jackson and Variety Club in the 2012 G1 Investec Cape Derby.

He is out of G3 Prestige Stakes second Alignment who is also second dam of G2 Dubai City Of Gold winner Excellent Result. Alignment in turn is by top class Lyphard sire Alzao, also the broodmare sire of breed shaping Japanese champion sire Deep Impact.