Turn the clock back to 2018 and a 16-year-old was working in the numbers room at Terang on race night.
Forging a friendship with the Lee family via his casual job, the teen soon found himself helping around the stable after school and on race nights despite having no previous experience with horses.
Fast forward to last Friday night and the same young man was reining the winning number to glory in the Terang Pacing Cup.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Lochie Cook said. “To win my hometown Cup is amazing.
“Having my family and friends here as well as winning it with a horse trained by Marg and Paddy just made it all-the-more special.
“It’s something that will always remain special to me.”
Utilising Jilliby Nitro’s gate speed to find the front from barrier five, Cook then eased the gelding to take a trail behind Oliver Dan.
Finishing strongly along the sprint lane, Jilliby Nitro completed a two-and-a-half metre win from the pacemaker.
Miki To Success, an Emma Stewart-trained stablemate of the runner-up, was two metres away third.
“He got the perfect run and down the back I knew he was travelling comfortably,” Cook said. “Then about 50 from home it hit me all at once, we had the Cup won.
“He has been low flying without luck and things finally went his way on the perfect possible night.”
Rating 1:57.4 over 2680 metres, Jilliby Nitro’s success was the closing leg of a treble for Cook, who opened the card by guiding Morris Brown to victory for the Carson Miller stable.
Cook then combined with South Australian-based horseman Matthew Horsnell to score with Blackbeach Peter.
“I was rapt to get a win on Cup night, then a double was amazing,” Cook said. “Then winning the Cup was just something else.”
Jilliby Nitro’s triumph was also part of a quartet for the Lees, who prepared Keayang Renegade, Keayang Dreamgirl and Jilliby Ballerini to impressive wins.
Driven by Glen Craven, Jilliby Ballerini captured the Terang Trotters Cup in 2:02.2 over 2680 metres as Meadow Valley Star and El Reamo filled the placings.
“We’ve won four pacers’ and three trotters’ Cups, and each one feels just as special,” Marg said. “There is just that little more joy about winning your home Cups.”
