Apprentice Adam Hyeronimus landed the biggest win of his career with a bold front running ride on Zara Dancer in Saturday’s Frank Underwood Cup at Canterbury.
The 21-year-old was given his chance in the Listed event by trainers Jim and Greg Lee and didn’t disappoint as the former New Zealand-trained galloper proved too strong for favourite Yulalona on an improving slow surface in the 1900m feature.
Zara Dancer ($7.50) defeated Yulalona ($3.30) by a neck with three-quarters of a length to third-placed Scottish Border ($5.50) to give Hyeronimus his first stakes winner.
Canterbury started out a heavy (10) but upgrades throughout the day meant the Frank Underwood Cup was run on a slow (7) with another improvement to a slow (6) after the race.
Formerly trained by Bruce Wallace, Zara Dancer was having just his third start for the Lee brothers and with the addition of blinkers Hyeronimus was instructed to let the gelding do his own thing out in front.
Zara Dancer was challenged for the lead by Tom’s Rocket but fended him off to hold the front.
After rolling along throughout the race, Zara Dancer kicked for home before the turn and kept all his rivals at bay to score his fourth win from 22 starts.
“Jim Cassidy said ‘put blinkers on him, hop him straight out in front and he’ll just about win’,” Jim Lee said, adding that the addition of the blinkers was the key.
Cassidy had ridden Zara Dancer at his previous start and copped a three-week suspension for the ride for breaching the whip rules.
Lee is considering the Listed Tattersall’s Club Cup (2000m) at Warwick Farm on January 2 as a likely target for the five-year-old son of Savabeel.
Lee was also delighted for Hyeronimus.
“I’m happy for the boy because he’s a nice kid,” Lee said.
“Those type of rides are really good rides. They usually say ‘good ride’, and they are all good rides when they win, but that was a ride.”
Hyeronimus, who is indentured to Jason Coyle, has ridden 14 city winners and didn’t expect to be saluting in stakes company at this stage of his career.
“It’s great. I never thought I would ride a stakes winner in my apprenticeship and that’s why I’m thankful to Jim and Greg for giving me these opportunities,” Hyeronimus said.
“I had ridden him once before in the Hawkesbury Cup and I knew he was going to keep going.”
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