The 4-year-old Universal Ruler mare Yonga Lass has been a revelation since joining the Grant and Alana Williams stable and earned a richly deserved maiden stakes success in the Group III Mrs Mac's - La Trice Classic (1800m) at Ascot on New Year's Day.
Ridden by Willie Pike, Yonga Lass stalked the early pace set by Fine Touch and was a menacing presence on the home turn.
Fine Touch (Maschino) wasn't about to give in without a fight but fell a half-neck short, with Forever Dreaming (Snippetson) a head back in third.
A homebred for Ian O'Connor and partners, Yonga Lass, advances her record to six wins and two seconds from 12 starts with earnings of $268,698.
O'Connor paid $75,000, through John Chalmers Bloodstock, for Yonga Lass' dam Give The Signal at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. Despite placing in seven of her 23 starts, the daughter of Fastnet Rock retired a maiden.
Yonga lass is the fourth foal and second winner for Give The Signal, whose last recorded foal is the unraced 3-year-old Stopthe Prospector (Gingerbread Man).
Yonga Lass is the 11th stakes-winner for Scenic Lodge's Universal Ruler. The veteran son of Scenic covered 85 mares this season at a fee of $8,250.
