O'Connor: Zahara impact hits home for Lee after tears of joy

The Keayang Zahara journey is only just beginning, but it’s already proving a pivotal period in Jason Lee’s harness racing career.

The 29-year-old reinsman has been associated with a string of top horses from the family’s Ecklin South stable, with Group 1 triumphs behind names such as Jilliby Kung Fu, Jilliby Nitro and Jilliby Jitterbug, Lumineer for Ange McDowall and Yabby Dam Farms stars Im Ready Jet and Always Ready.

But Keayang Zahara is already different. She’s taking the sport’s wider fan base along for the ride and bringing grown men and women to tears. Not sad tears, but happy ones. And that’s an incredible feeling for the straight-shooting, footy-mad trots lover from Victoria’s south-west.

“I’m 29 and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my four uncles, especially John but also Des, Peter and Harry, so emotional about something. They had a tear in their eye,” Lee said after last week’s dominant victory in The Ascent at Addington.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY AT THETROTS.COM.AU