THE apprentice bested the master on Saturday night, as Nathan Fox led home a Ballarat quinella at the Ararat Gift.Fox chased down his own coach, Ballarat’s Rob Lehmann, in the last 20 metres of the 120m race, to claim the $3000 prize at Alexandra Oval, Ararat.In the process, the 28-year-old foiled Lehmann’s attempt to create history by winning the Ararat feature 20 years on from his maiden win in 1991. Lehmann, 39, also won the Gift in 1994.Lehmann, off 10m, entered the final as favourite after recording the fastest heat on adjusted time.Starting off 8.5m, Fox said there was little to separate the pair at the end of the race.Fox, who now lives in Soldiers Hill but started his professional running career in Ararat, said Saturday night’s gift was one he specifically had his heart on winning.“It’s one of the major (gift races) and I am originally from there,” Fox said. “I started my professional running in Ararat, training with (former coach) Marcus Cooper at Alexandra Oval, so it was one I set my sights on.“I didn’t have the fastest time of the night. Rob did that, so he would have been the one to watch for the final. I knew it would be between Rob and myself. “I beat Rob just by a nose, while Marcus Cooper’s young bloke, Lachlan Dalgleish was third. There were a lot of runners from Melbourne so it was just a good result for the local guys.”It was Fox’s first Ararat Gift victory, and his second major win of the season following the Bendigo 1000 last year.“We put in a couple of hard weeks training and started tapering off a week ago to get back into form,” Fox said.“I’m having a go at the Keilor Gift, and probably Bendigo and St Bernard in Melbourne. “The Ballarat Gift is the last one of the season, so definitely want to have a go at that for sure.”