Trots Centre: Cook ready to turn up the heat for driving debut

The four-hour trip from Terang to Kilmore will give Lochie Cook plenty of time to contemplate his driving debut, but the 20-year-old will take his first racing seat with some wise words to follow.

“Just go out and have fun and enjoy it,” are the chief instructions Cook will carry from trainer Marg Lee’s camp, where the Terang local has been a stablehand since June 2018.

_{Picture: Ashlea Brennan Photography.}

It’s been a whirlwind education and one that takes a major step at Kilmore tonight when he will take the reins of Keayang Jackie in the OKR 98.3 Pace.

“I started working (at the Lees) after school and was coming to the property more and more on weekends, holidays and before I know it I was here full-time,” he said.

“I initially thought it would be a good gap year (after year 12), after about six months Jason (Lee) put driving on the agenda. I had thought about it before then, but not seriously.

“It was very challenging having had no background in the horse game. Thanks to Jason and everyone here I have had a lot of track drives and that gave me confidence in things like judging speed and controlling a horse.”

That led to the not insignificant leap of going from working the Lee horses at home to taking the reins in trials.

“My first trial was overwhelming and quite thrilling,” Cook said. “The speed, I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t think they could go that quick.

“I get to drive good quality horses here, speed is something trained into the horses and it’s really mind-blowing.”

The experiences only enhanced his love for the job and the sport, saying being able to drive was “huge”.

“I always looked forward to trial drives, whenever I’d have one coming it made me work that bit harder and encouraged me to keep going.”

And so it has come to this, with Cook to guide Keayang Jackie at Kilmore in their 8pm pacing race.

“I waited a bit longer to make sure I was ready to go and she was the first one that was ready-made for me,” he said. “She is easy to drive and should go all right.

“I have had a fair bit to do with her when working with Marg. Here you do work with nearly every horse.”

The three-year-old filly is first up since April 17, has already banked four wins in 11 starts and is expected to go around one of the top chances in tonight’s sprint.

“I’m really expecting her to go good, it just depends on the driver,” Cook laughed. “I definitely don’t want to overcomplicate it, I’ll have Plan A and Plan B and then it’s a matter of trust your knowledge.

“It is definitely excitement at the moment. As it gets closer nerves will kick in and I will probably start thinking more about the race, but I don’t want to overcomplicate it.”

His biggest threat is expected to come from Belittled, who form analyst Craig Rail has on top. He is trained by Maree Campbell and will be steered by Chris Alford, a legend of the sport with well over 7000 wins to his credit.

“It’s pretty cool racing Chris,” Cook said. “In one of my trials in Geelong I came up against him, he beat me home and I tried a little bit extra to beat him.”

Making the week all the bigger for Cook is the fact that stable star Code Bailey, who he owns a share in, makes his racing return in Saturday night’s TAB Smoken Up Sprint, a key hit-out ahead of the $300,000 Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup on October 10.

“It’s really cool to have him back,” he said. “If it gets him that little bit fitter that will be a good result.

“This year will probably be one of his biggest years in racing, but you never know, anything can happen.”

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