You’d have to go a long way to find a more dedicated and committed teenage horseman than George Lee.
And speaking of a long way…that’s exactly what the 16-year-old has to persevere with getting to and from work every day.
Six days a week Lee travels the 212km-two-and-a-half round trip from his Grabben Gullen (via Crookwell) home to his grandfather Steven’s (Lee) Mitchell stables 8km from Canberra. Crossing the State border from New South Wales to the Australian Capital Territory daily comprises more than 1,200km travel a week and a massive 62,000km a year.
But the happy-go-lucky young horseman isn’t fazed by the massive amounts of kilometres he puts in.
“I leave about 6am in the morning and travel with my Pop (Steven Lee), who is based 8km from us at Laggan. Then we get home at about 3pm. It’s all part of the job, I guess. I’ve wanted to drive horses for as long as I can remember, so I’m living my dream really. I drove the mini trotters from about the age of six or seven, and My Dad (Simon Locke) is also a trainer and works about five horses at Goulburn,” Lee said.
That care-free, hard-working attitude to his employment reaped its reward at the Goulburn Harness Racing Club’s meeting on Sunday (January 20) when Lee drove a third of the card and his first double for the season – for both his dad and his ‘Pop’.
Lee got back well back on the Locke trained The Ex Horseist in race two – the Sun Solutions Home Improvement Goulburn NR-up-to-57 Pace – before unleashing the 6-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding at the 400m mark. It was a perfectly timed run, which saw the $4.60-third favourite get up right on the line to pip the Brad Hewitt driven favourite by a head.
“That was very satisfying. I actually thought Brad was too far ahead of me turning for home but my horse showed a lot of speed in the straight. In the end it was a perfectly-timed run. The horse is a credit to Dad. He’s now won 12 races, and nine for my sister Georgia, who has owned him since the end of 2023. He used to race in Queensland,” Lee said.
The Ex Horseist post race presentation at Goulburn – Sunday 20 February 2025 (Photo Lance Fearne Photography)
The Ex Horseist & owner Georgie Locke
Then four races later, Lee drove the beautifully-bred trotter, Eyedidntloseit, to win a NR-up-to-47 Pacing event for his grandfather.
“She’s a Peak mare out of the S J’s Photo mare, Flash And Flair. ‘Pop’ couldn’t get her to trot an inch, so he put the hopples on her and she qualified well as a Pacer, winning at Young (August 1, 2022). She hasn’t look back since.”
That’s quite ironic because Eyedidntloseit’s mother, the 2011 maiden (two starts) Flash And Flair, is a full-sister to the brilliant squaregaiter, A Touch of Flair, and the star trotter, Down Under Muscles.
All three are out of the late 1986 15-win ($79,634) Entrepreneur mare, Fiona’s Flair (2:02.8).
A Touch of Flair (1:52.6), a 2000 full-brother to Flash And Flair, won 34 of his 88 starts and $569,197.
He won and placed in numerous Group and Listed races including the Group One 2005 Dullard Cup, and also ran second behind Delft in the 2006 Inter Dominion Trotters Grand Final at Moonee Valley.
Foal eight, the 2005 Muscles Yankee colt, Down Under Muscles (2:01.1) was victorious 17 times and placed in several Group and Listed races. He also won two Group Three events.
Fiona’s Flair’s first two foals also performed with distinction as well. Foal one, the 1996 Red Coach Glory gelding, Son Of Flair (1:56.2), won 27 races and $257,909, placing in the Grand Prix Trot at Moonee Valley, and the South Australian Trotters Cup at Globe Derby Park. Both were 2012 Group One events.
Foal two, the 1997 Maori’s idol gelding, Mighty Maori (1:55.2) won 40 races ($256,305) and won the Vicbred 4yo trot Final at Moonee Valley in 2002.
Flash And Flair was foal four of 11.
“Eyedidntloseit has now won six races as a pacer and gone 1:55.1. I really enjoyed that win on Sunday, but no more than what I did behind The Ex Horseist. It was so satisfying to win for both dad and ‘Pop’ on the same day,” Lee said.
The talented teenager drew seven on the $5 third-favourite and settled second last of the eight starters soon after the start. She then got into the one-out-and-four-back position at the bell before getting a drag three-wide into the race behind Harlequin down the back straight.
Lee then asked the 6-year-old mare to sprint four-wide at the 400m, and in the straight they fought on to win by half-a-neck. Her mile rate for the 1,170m mobile was 1:56.7 – 1.3 seconds quicker than The Ex Horseist’s 1:59 victory in race two.
Eyedidntloseit (7) & George Lee winning at Goulburn (Photo Lance Fearne Photography)
Eyedidntloseit is owned by Lee’s grandfather, his grandmother Suzan, and his Aunty, Kristin Cunningham.
“It was a good day out. It’s days like Sunday that make all my travelling to and from work worthwhile. ‘Pop’ did try and get stalls at Goulburn but they were full-up. It is what it is. I’ve driven a double a couple of times before at Wagga Wagga and Canberra,” Lee said.
Eyedidntloseit post race presentation Goulburn (Photo Lance Fearne Photography)
Born in Canberra, raised in Grabben Gullen and educated at Crookwell High School, Lee is the third oldest in a family of five which comprises Michala (21), Georgia (19), Caden (11) and Harper (8).
“Georgia helps out at the stable a bit, and my younger brother and sister also drive the mini trotters, so it’s a family passion, all started by ‘Pop’. My Mum, Courtney, does all the breeding side of the horses. She AIs (artificially inseminates) the mares” Lee said.
Lee has now reined 21 winners in almost two years of driving. In the 2024 season he saluted the judge 16 times and placed on 32 occasions for $121,199 in purses. This year he has triumphed five times from 20 starts, and also placed twice for $30,214 in stakes.
“I don’t have any real goals this year, but I do think I should beat last year’s number of wins. I just want to keep learning from every drive I have, win or lose. It’s experience in the sulky which makes you better,” Lee said.
“I am privileged to be able to learn from dad and ‘Pop’. Having their experience to call on is valuable. A Miracle Mile or an Inter Dominion win is my dream goal,” he added.
Major Mucha with trainer Steven Lee and driver George Lee at Goulburn 25 November 2024
Sixty-nine-year-old Lee Senior, who works a team of 25, is a millionaire trainer, and has won two Listed Classic events with Uncle Jay in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
All-up Lee Senior has recorded 201 winners since HRA records started in 1983/84 and has also had 430 place-getters from 2,164 starts. His stake earnings currently sit at $1,343,225.
Eyedidntloseit provided him with his sixth win of the season. His best season came last year when he bagged 34 winners, 69 place-getters and netted $298,971 in stakes.
As for 41-year-old Locke, who works in a chicken farm full-time, he has trained 32 winners, 82 place-getters and recorded $260,847 since he started training in the 2017-2018 season. Last year was also his best, nailing eight winners and 16 place-getters ($68,560) from his 84 starters. This season he boasts a two-from-five winning strike-rate.
Although no drives have been confirmed yet, Lee said he could be back in the sulky at Wagga Wagga on Friday or Canberra on Sunday.
He turns 17 on May 27.
