Keayang Zahara - The Ascent win with Jason Lee & Marg Lee Photo by HRNZ
JASON Lee's frequent flyer points will soar over the next three weeks.
The top young driver will spend his time between Victoria, Christchurch and NSW chasing features between now and mid-December.
The stunning emergence of three-year-old trotter filly Keayang Zahara – unbeaten in 12 starts – has sparked the busiest and most exciting chapter in the history of Terang's Lee and Craven clan.
"We've had lots of runners interstate before, but never anything quite like this," Jason Lee said.
"We've got about 50 in work at home (Ecklin South, near Terang); Keayang Zahara is staying in NZ for another one or maybe even two races and then we'll have eight to 10 horses campaigning in NSW next week while the Inter Dominion series is on."
Just how many runners they have in the actual Inter Dominion itself will be decided after three of their trotters run across two races at Melton on Saturday night.
"Keayang Chucky is a lock, but he raced last week and won't go around again this Saturday," Lee said.
"Aldebaran Vera is pretty much a lock, too, providing she goes as well as we expect in the mares' (trotting) free-for-all on Saturday night."
"Then we've got Keayang Stuka and Imperial Monarch in the last race. They could both go if they run really well."
The Inter Dominion starts with heats at Newcastle on Friday week.
"Paddy (Lee, Jason's brother) will take our team up to Sydney on Monday. He'll take another five or six horses outside of the Inter Dominion runners. They can run in the support races over the two weeks," Lee said.
The twist is Keayang Zahara will be commanding favourite to stretch her unbeaten record to 13 races in the $NZ140,000 NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington in Christchurch on Friday week.
"It's the same night as those first Inter Dominion heats, so we might have to lean on Will Rixon, who is a family friend, to do some driving for us at Newcastle," Lee said.
"The added complication is Glen (Craven) would normally go to NZ or NSW, and I'd do the other, but his wife is expecting a baby."
Keayang Zahara was the biggest talking point from last week's epic NZ Cup Week after she demolished NZ's best young trotters by eight lengths in the inaugural $NZ500,000 The Ascent.
She is a $1.10 favourite to add to next Friday's Oaks, which would be the seventh Group 1 win. She only had her first start on April 3.
"We'll make a decision whether she stays on longer again for the (NZ Trotting) Derby after she runs in the Oaks," Lee said.
"We're mindful she's come a long way very quickly and still has a big career ahead."
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
