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There are few honour rolls that Jason Lee coveted more than the Terang Co-Op Pacing Cup and it’s a case of mission accomplished after another extraordinary Code Bailey performance.
Lee gave the locals a hearty salute as his Christian Cullen entire put almost 18 metres between himself and his rivals to win Saturday night’s $50,000 Group 2, joining cousin Glen Craven and Grand-Uncle Dick Lee as winning drivers of the storied race.
“I was pretty pumped up the straight, had the whip waving,” Lee told TrotsVision after Code Bailey advanced to equal fifth on the Trots Country Cups Championship by adding the Terang triumph to his all-the-way Bendigo Cup breakout last month.
“It’s probably fair to say at Bendigo there wasn’t as much expectation. Probably, just more relief (tonight).
“Always wanted to win this race. Obviously Nana and Pop had a lot to do here and created all this. Always talked to Nana and Pop about winning this race and Nana said you’d win it one day, so you were right Nana.”
After early pace from War Dan inside him, Code Bailey soon worked to the front and when the field collapsed into single file Lee was able to carve a stress-free 81.7-second lead time, some 3.7 seconds slower than that set in 2019.
With a little over a mile to go Ballarat Cup winner A Gs White Socks advanced to the leader’s hip amid a 58.3-second first half of the last mile.
As they advanced to the final turn Lee set Code Bailey loose and he briskly created separation, getting home in 54.5 seconds for a commanding victory, with Kerryn Manning’s South Australian Cup winner Pat Stanley finishing strongest to beat A Gs White Socks for second.
“It’s pretty special and just really happy to win that race,” Lee said. “I got to sit here for this couple of minutes and steer this awesome horse around, but … they all put in long hours and actually really care for the animal and what they are doing.
“All the crew at home, there is too many of them to name, but all the work they put in. (Stablehand and part-owner Lochie Cook’s) the one I’ve got to give a bit of mention to, this is his favourite horse and he makes sure this horse gets absolutely everything, he gets treated like a king.”
Jason Lee after winning 2020 @TerangHRC pacing Cup https://t.co/Aemo00gy7c
— Paul Campbell (@vege07) February 15, 2020
