Melbourne, December 29 – The marathon 3000 metre restricted handicap at Moonee Valley on Saturday was taken out by the Thunder Gulch (USA) mare Lapse, a $115,000 purchase from the Yarraman draft at the 2004 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Raced by the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park Stud Syndicate, Lapse started her racing career with Gai Waterhouse in Sydney, but has blossomed late in life for Melbourne trainer Heath Conners and found her forte as a stayer.

A leggy athletic chestnut, Lapse strode away at the end of this arduous assignment, cruising home to post her first metropolitan win by three lengths.

Bred by Tim Hughes and foaled and raised at Yarraman Park, Lapse is the second foal of the stakes-placed Zabeel mare Making Fey (NZ), whose third foal is the Group One winning Encosta de Lago filly Apercu.

Given the pedigree update for Apercu, the Kelly’s were already on a winner with Lapse and now that she’s won three races and been successful in town she’ll be a perfect candidate to go to stud next year.

Yarraman Park sold an Exceed and Excel filly from Making Fey at Easter this year for $125,000. She has a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock for 2008 and produced another colt by the same sire in late September.