Cowra’s Adam Hyeronimus scored the biggest win of his short career when he steered the Grafton trained Belflyer to victory in the inaugural running of the $1.3 million The Kosciuszko for country-trained horses at Randwick last Saturday.
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Hyeronimus, the son of Craig and Narelle Hyeronimus and grandson of one of the legends of the turf in Cowra, Reg Paine, served part of his apprenticeship under Belflyer’s trainer John Skelton.
Asked what Shelton means to him after the win, Hyeronimus told the Sydney Morning Herald: "Everything. Everything. You can't describe it. He's just the best. He's done so much for me."
Added Hyeronimus' mother Narelle said: "John's like another father to him. He's such a lovely guy and they got on so well. He helped pick up the pieces for Adam."
Most people had expected another Shelton protege, Ben Looker, to be the toast of The Kosciuszko party.
He was on early favourite Victorem, which lost top billing to the heavily backed Don't Give A Damn and then lost his wheels in the Randwick wet. And that's the only reason Hyeronimus jumped on Belflyer, the Ramornie Handicap runner-up.
Belflyer was one of the last horses picked up by one of the 12 slot-holders, drawn out from a raffle to scramble and pick up the best NSW bush-based horses.
It was the biggest win on a racetrack for both trainer and jockey with the first prize purse worth $685,000.
And the fact they did it with a $71 outsider just made it even sweeter.
