Highlands Stud’s G1 winning young sire Potala Palace will be the first of the Cape first season stallions represented on the racetrack this season.

The son of Singspiel’s first runner is Watsonia, with the 2yo filly set to make her debut for trainer Alan Greeff at Fairview this Friday.
Bred by Daytona Stud, Watsonia will be ridden by Greg Cheyne in Friday’s 800m dash.

Watsonia, who is out of the Fort Wood mare Cape Floral, was a R25 000 bargain buy from this year’s KZN Yearling Sale.

Her sire Potala Palace was a top-class racehorse, who won or placed in seven races and who earned over R600 000 in stakes.
His victories included a win in the G1 Premier’s Champion Stakes, over G1 winners Gimmethegreenlight, Fighting Warrior and Master Plan, with Potala Palace also accounted for the high class gallopers Link Man, Wagner, and Love Struck when triumphant in the 2013 G3 Joburg Spring Challenge.

He is one of more than 90 stakes winners sired by champion racehorse Singspiel, whose notable G1 winners include champion Solow, Breeders’ Cup winner Lahudood and Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad.

Potala Palace, who shares his broodmare sire Alzao with the great sire Deep Impact, is from the same family as legendary stallions Sadler’s Wells (grandsire of Singspiel), Fairy King and Nureyev.