Road trip sees 80-1 triumph

New South Wales Southern Tablelands horseman Steven Lee and his teenage grandson had a road trip to remember when they made a three-hour trek to compete at Wagga Wagga last week.

Lee and reinsman James Locke got under the radar of punters when they scored with rank outsider Count Your Eyes.

Lee is based at Laggan, near Goulburn in NSW, and produced the five-year-old mare to take out the TAB Venue Mode Trotters Mobile-at official starting odds of 80/1.

“I don’t bet, but the odds did surprise me a bit. Two starts ago she ran fourth at Menangle. But I suppose her last outing at Goulburn was probably ordinary,” Lee said.

Sixteen-year-old Locke, a junior driver, has been a regular reinsman for Count Your Eyes (Imperial Count-My Yankee Sensation (Yankee Reb).

“Young James was pretty excited. It was his first drive at the new Wagga track and he got the money. I think it was also the first trot event held at the new complex,” he said.

“James sat patiently on the pegs in about fifth and they were in Indian file for most of the way and he got off down the back.”

Locke was the first to make a move but was three deep on the home corner with Count Your Eyes.

However, he was unflustered and waited for the home stretch to ask his charge for an effort, with the mare doing the rest, rattling home to snatch a narrow victory in a solid mile rate of 2.01-5.

Lee said “there’s always too much work waiting at home” for an overnight stay, and they travelled home later in the afternoon.

“I did have a few celebration drinks later that night at home. It was a good trip and it gave James his third winner. He left school last year and has been doing some farrier work. Apart from doing the horses, he also helps out at a nearby sheep stud,” he said.

“We have 10 in work with six of these being square-gaiters. I do like the trotters because they’re a bit more of a challenge.”

Lee has been around horses all his life. He spent seven years with legend trainer Charlie Parsons at Bankstown and since then has been breaking-in and educating babies.

“I was with Charlie ‘many moons ago’ and when I was a youngster I enjoyed the driving part. I was lucky enough to win a junior drivers’ contest held on various tracks throughout the State.

“We have 220 acres with our own track and we usually just train the ones we own. There’s also a few sheep and cattle on the property at times.”

Lee said his closest tracks were Canberra and Goulburn.

“But we don’t mind the trips to Wagga or even Menangle. We’re actually back at Wagga again this Friday with two trotters.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink