Rising star Victorian reinsman Jason Lee put his emotions aside momentarily early this week to do what he does best – and that's land harness racing winners.
Lee gathered his composure and showed his outstanding qualities with a bag of four winners and two second placings at Terang on Tuesday night.
It was only three days after his good friend Tony Chisholm, 69, of nearby Camperdown, lost his long battle with throat cancer, while Lee found out on the morning of the Terang meeting that his 56-year-old Uncle "Darky" Lee had died.
"It's felt like a week from hell, that's for sure. It's been a terrible time," Lee said.
"Uncle Darky, that's who everyone called him, was one of my dad's three brothers and he was a gem of a bloke. Everyone knew him for working to help the disadvantaged and he wasn't big into the trots, but he'd often turn up to sell car raffle tickets for the school," Lee said.
Lee said he became friends with Tony Chisholm about seven years ago when he drove a horse for him at the trials.
"Tony was probably like another uncle to me and then became a great friend with our family. He would come around home to do fast work and despite all the hardships he had in his life, he would always have a smile," Lee said.
In what was probably the perfect script, the first of four victories for Lee at Terang was with Batman Barry, a two-year-old that Chisholm had bred and trained up until losing his fight.
HRV stewards permitted Batman Barry (Big Jim USA-The Black Queen (Aces N Sevens) to race under his late trainer's name and carry his familiar green, white diamond and gold sleeve colors for one last time.
Lee was quick to zoom to the head of affairs and then rated the pacer to a nicety with splits of 30, 30.2, 29.6 and 28.5 for a 1.57-9 mile rate.
"It was a fantastic result and now mum (astute trainer Margaret Lee) has taken over the horse, which was Tony's wish," he said.
The young reinsman has been going gangbusters for the past few seasons and has an impressive 50 percent strike rate of starters to top three placings. His four winners at Terang this week was one short of his personal best – a memorable five winners, also at Terang, back in February, 2015.
Apart from Batman Barry, Lee was successful on Tuesday with Wantano (Shadow Play-Mama Tembu (Albert Albert), trained by Rebecca East; Searover (Cullens Hope-Mosquito Flyer (Partywiththebigdog), trained by Greg Howard; and Jilliby Babavska (Sundon-La Tonneralla (Continentialman), trained by his brother, Paddy Lee.
Jason could have been forgiven for bypassing the Terang meeting, with the week the family had.
"I did think about that at one stage, but what do you do…stay home and sit on the couch? I did think I could be in for a big night and it all turned out okay and that was nice – but to put it into perspective, if it didn't work out, so be it," Lee said.
Although one of Jason's uncles Keiran (Lee), has been an owner, his father Damien's other two brothers, Brendan and Darky were not close followers of harness racing.
"The harness racing involvement and passion is more on the side of my mum," Jason said.
"But Nanna Jill (Lee) keeps the family ticking along together. She is just an inspiration.
"Nanna lost poppy (Tom) a few years ago, but she still works on the farm and does the milking. She's just unbelievable the way in which she can keep going," he said.
Lee said the family currently had a team of between 25 and 30 horses in work.
"I think a few youngsters may have got their shoes taken off and turned out during the week. It's been a bit hectic," he said.
Now the family is trying to regroup and focus on Sunday's monster meeting at Sydney's Tabcorp Park Menangle where they have four runners.
Jason will steer Jilliby Nitro in the $125,000 Art Major NSW Breeders Challenge 2yo colts and geldings final and Jilliby Bandit in the $100,000 G1 TAB Len Smith Mile. Glen Craven has been booked to drive Keayang Jackie in the $125,000 2yo fillies G1 and Keayang Liberty in the $150,000 3yo fillies feature.
"The horses have been up there this week and apart from settling in well, the reports are they have impressed in their work," Lee said.
It's a huge day on the racing calendar, and there's nothing surer the talented youngster would love to add to his already impressive 91 winners for the season on the big stage Sunday.
"We all like to aim for the century and I've done it a bit over the past few years. Hopefully the weekend turns out to be special for us," he said.
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura