NSW apprentice Adam Hyeronimus made the most of his opportunity to impress Tasmanian race fans when he partnered the Gary White-trained Turf Predator to victory in the Tasmanian leg of the National Apprentices Series at The TOTE Racing centre in Launceston on Thursday night.
Hyeronimus gave Turf Predator the gun run in the race and when he called on the flashy chestnut gelding for the supreme effort in the home straight he booted clear and held on for a narrow win over the fast-finishing Werbally (Melissa Walters).
Ï thought I was on the best horse in the race and I rode him accordingly,” Hyeronimus said.
“I’m rapt to win the race because I ran second here last year so it’s nice to go one better.”
Hyeronimus is indentured to Randwick trainer Jason Coyle for whom he has been riding for about eight months.
He spent some time with the Graeme Rogerson stable but limited opportunities forced him to look elsewhere, settling with Coyle who has a strong team of horses in work at his Randwick stables.
He finished second in the National series last season and this win puts him in equal second spot in the series.
South Australian apprentice Melissa Walters almost pulled off a win when she brought the filly from well back in the field turning for home to within a head of the winner.
Local apprentice Crystal Hallett grabbed third points aboard rank outsider Too Many malts with Queensland’s Katrina Ashton partnering the Andrew Roach-trained Kyiv Storm into fourth place.