One of only two mares in the race, the Marg Lee-trained Jilliby Willow found the lead from her favourable front row draw but was soon challenged by Beyond Delight who set off in search of the front.
Jason Lee, however, wasn't about to surrender the lead and reined-up Jilliby Willow to retain her position at the head of affairs.
Matt Craven then came around for a look on Fides but was also fended off by JIlliby Willow ($9), who refused to yield in the home straight and held on to score by a metre from his aforementioned rival. Roughie Springfield Affair was a close-up third.
A week earlier, the stable lost its best pacer Jilliby Kung Fu, who died after suffering complications from surgery on a fractured pastern.
Jason Lee said Jilliby Willow continues to scale the raised bar.
"She was up in grade tonight even though she went around in the Ladyship Cup. She's jumped on the scene pretty quick, but we've always had a big opinion of her," he said.
Lee admitted he inadvertently encouraged his rivals to challenge for the front.
"She can get a bit keen, so when she relaxed so well I just didn't want to shake her up at all and I probably went too steady and in doing so I probably invited a few around," he said.
Lee said Jilliby Willow's second placing in the Ladyship Cup was the catalyst to tackle the hometown feature.
"She's really hard to beat in front and I tossed up whether to take a sit or not," he said.
"Her last run was just awesome and it's hard to get past a horse like Encipher who is a champion mare. And then Greg's mare (Rakero Rebel) ran so well in the Cranbourne Cup, so it filled us with confidence.
"We were tossing up whether to run in the cup or the race below, but when she was going to draw so well we thought we'd have a crack at the cup."
Later in the night, Marg Lee's son Paddy stepped out of the shadows and etched his name in the history books by training all three place-getters in the Morsbearings Terang Trotters Cup.
Lee harnessed up the $1.75 favorite Keayang Ignite along with second elect Keayang Chucky ($4.40) and Keayang Xena ($51).
Keayang Xena trotted to the early lead, however both Keayang Chucky and Keayang Ignite made mid-race ventures for the top in quick succession as Hesallmuscle dented his winning chances by galloping inside the first 400 metres.
The move by Glen Craven to take a sit on Keayang Chucky proved to be a winning one as the son of Love You reeled in Keayang Ignite half-way down the straight and went on to score by four metres, with Keayang Xena a metre away third.
Craven expected Keayang Chucky to be in the finish after the five-year-old finished third behind Callmethebreeze and Just Believe in the Great Southern Star Final at his previous start.
"We knew he'd go well and he stepped away really good, and once the speed came out of the race, we were able to pop around and get cover again, which is the best way he likes to race," Craven said.
Paddy Lee is fast making a name for himself as an emerging trainer of trotters, boasting an impressive career winning strike rate of 23 per cent.
"I've been watching the trotters cup for a lot of years and it's been something I've always wanted to win," the 27-year-old said.
"And to run first, second and third tonight is a great thrill."
Lee said it was a career thrill when Keayang Chucky was placed in the Great Southern Star Final.
"For Chucky to run third, it felt like it was one of the best races I've ever won," he said.
"Growing up, I just turned to the trotters and just loved them. To get the three of them ready for our trotters cup, and alongside Mum winning the pacing cup, it's been a great family effort."
