How Marg Lee turned Jilliby & Keayang into household names

The year 2024 was filled with a Presidential Election, Taylor Swift exceeded a billion dollars in revenue after the success of her ‘Eras’ tour, and Keayang Zahara (Volstead) took the harness racing trotting world by storm.

Melbourne news reading royalty, Peter Hitchener could escape the buzz of the megastar, who featured on a prime-time 9News bulletin.

The undefeated mare after 14 starts has a name synonymous with trainer Marg Lee and her Ecklin South property that has fostered over 10, Group 1 winners.

The naming of Jilliby and Keayang hold a very significant place in the 62-year-old’s family and the land on which they operate day-to-day.

“Jilliby is where my mum and dad’s property is and where I grew up,” Marg Lee said.

“It is where two creeks meet in the property and that’s what it means in the Aboriginal language, my mum found that out years ago.”

Keayang also holds a particular significance to her family’s history.

“Keayang is where my property is and we are ‘Keayang Farms’ and that was part of a big farm station ,” she said.

“It was a big station near my farm and that is where my horses are kept and trained.

“When you use to send in names and you use to get knocked back and I started with Keayang Hanover and Jason (Lee) said ‘why don’t you keep using Keayang’, so it is just easier to use to get names through.”

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria