Horse Racing

Apprentice jockey Adam Hyeronimus with Luxbet drifter Zara Dancer $7.50 achieved their first black type success together when taking out the Listed 2011 Frank Underwood Cup (1900m) at Canterbury today.

The Jim and Greg Lee-trained galloper was ridden aggressively to lead and despite being taken on, kept going to win narrowly.

The unruly Tom’s Rocket, strongly backed on Luxbet from $15 to $11, applied early and mid race pressure  and along with Solid Billing Luxbet $51 into $26, who settled third, opened up a five length mid-race lead on the rest of the field.

Coming to the turn, Solid Billing and Tom’s Rocket were under pressure.

Luxbet race favourite Yulalona $3.30, loomed as a major threat but Zara Dancer held on.

The closers Yulalona, Scottish Boarder Luxbet $5.50, and Count Encosta Luxbet $11, were close up after coming from the back.

Zara Dancer was formerly trained by Bruce Wallace in New Zealand.

Under his care, he finished fifth in the Group I George Main Stakes (1600m) earlier in the spring.

The five-year-old then joined the Randwick stables of the Lee brothers after a short break.

Zara Dancer then finished fourth at his first two starts for the new yard.

Jockey Jim Cassidy had ridden the gelding at its last start and recommended the use of blinkers for the first time.

Jim Lee said it was the key reason for the 2011 Frank Underwood Cup victory.

The daring ride by Hyeronimus was the answer to his 2011 Frank Underwood Cup riding instructions.

But when he stayed on the fence in the straight against conventional thinking, it was his own idea.

“I just wanted to keep him in his momentum,” he said

“He’s bred to get through the wet and he did.

“They (Jim and Greg Lee) put the blinkers on, told me to roll forward and told me to keep going and I did.”

“At the 600m he kicked and he kept running.”

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