Now in her 70's Margaret has finally claimed the win she always wanted.

Margaret took out first place in the sultana cake section and also managed to get a second place with her fruit cake at the Sydney Royal Easter show.

Margaret and her family travelled to the show and were excited when they saw her cakes in the showcase cabinet.

"To our knowledge there were roughly 14 cakes vying for first prize, and there could be more that weren't in the cabinet," she said.

"I am very critical of my own cooking and about where I could go right or wrong so I am really chuffed with it."

Margaret said that getting to this level didn't just happen this year but has come after years of hard work.

In the fruit cake section, Margaret had a particular recipe she had to follow and had to win at Lithgow's local show, before representing the Castlereagh section where she had to win again before being able to enter into the Sydney Royal Show.

This was the second time Margaret had made it through to the Sydney Royal and came away with a second place.

"This is a highly contested section so I am very proud of my efforts," she said.

Margaret said it had been a long journey to get there and she had always wanted an Easter show ribbon.

"I got third one year and was satisfied but to get a first I am absolutely excited and delighted, who knew that winning a small ribbon could make someone's life change for a week," she said.

"It's been a privilege to represent the area, this has made an old lady very happy."

Margaret said that her advice to other competitors would be to remember that results are based on one person's opinion on the day.

"Don't criticise, look where you can improve and say right, this is what I can do better," she said.

"Every year I have fixed something and it may have taken 15 years but I got there."

Margaret is hoping to enter her fruit cake again next year, if she makes it through to the Castlereagh section.

"I didn't know there was a trophy and then I looked at [her son] Daniel and said 'I've got to get that bloody trophy'."

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Margaret said she is happy with the success she had with the sultana cake.

"You can't get any higher than first, so you have to learn to move away and let the younger ones come and pass your knowledge onto them," she said.

"That's what its about, passing your knowledge on and when you pass you hope that people will remember what you've told them."

Margaret said she has received a lot of phone calls from unexpected members of the public to congratulate her on her win.

"It's the people you don't expect, like your accountant," she laughed.

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