ANNA Roper won’t want January to end!
But it will tomorrow night at Canterbury with two rides for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees after a remarkable month of riding by Wyong’s star apprentice to clearly set the seal on her comeback.
Roper’s victory at Scone today on Jack Of Aces in the Benchmark 66 Handicap (2200m) for Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith was her 16th in the first month of the new calendar year.
Such a run of success could not be more fitting as January is known for New Year’s Day, symbolising fresh starts and resolutions and setting intentions for the year ahead.
Roper’s flurry of January winners came on top of a first time unbeaten foursome from her four rides at the Gosford metropolitan meeting held at Port Macquarie on December 29.
Roper’s Scone success was her 153rd (22 this season) in a career which unfortunately has been dogged by injuries since she made a winning debut on Alpha Go for former Gosford trainer Tony Newing at Gundagai on April 3, 2022.
Roper’s January run began with Tiwi Girl (Paul Perry) at Port Macquarie on the 3rd, followed by Thebes and Show ‘Em Howl (Taree, 7th), Angara (Newcastle, 10th), Sapphire Kiss (Muswellbrook, 13th), Jamakin Money and La Pelago (both for her boss at Dubbo on 14th), Matter Of Honour (Kensington, 16th), South Of India (Rosehill Gardens, 18th), Show ‘Em Howl (Port Macquarie, 19th), Hoo Haa (Newcastle, 21st), Ollie’s Secret (Tamworth, 23rd), Jamacri (Port Macquarie, 24th), Tartana (Warwick Farm, 27th), C’mon Mate (Kembla Grange yesterday) and, of course Jack Of Aces today.
The winner of last season’s Rising Star series, her latest comeback began in early November after being off the scene since late July – and for a time she found winners were hard to come by.
In fact, until she burst back into the city limelight by scoring on Gosford trainer Kylie Gavenlock’s mare Audette at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day, she had ridden only one winner – Le Souci at Tuncurry on December 9.
Roper’s turnaround has been swift and her master, Wyong trainer Damien Lane, this evening paid a nice tribute to her.
“Racing is a hard game full of ups and downs, and you have to ride them,” Lane said.
“Anna has a terrific work ethic and is determined to make a great success of her profession.
“The fact that she is still getting rides without an allowance at country meetings is a measure of the regard she is held in by trainers.”
Lane has played an important role in the young jockey’s progression up the ranks.
He allows her to go to Sydney one or two mornings a week to ride trackwork for trainers, usually at either Warwick Farm or Royal Randwick.
“It’s only an hour and 20 minutes drive to Sydney, and it’s important to build relationships with trainers,” Lane said.
“We’re on the track at Wyong at 3.30am, whereas they start a bit later in Sydney.”
Roper could have gone to Taree tomorrow to attempt a hat-trick on Port Macquarie trainer Robert Agnew’s three-year-old Show ‘Em Howl, on whom she has won at Taree on January 7 and Port Macquarie 12 days later.
Instead she is heading to town to ride at the Canterbury night meeting, hoping to put the icing on an incredible month by winning on either or both the Lees’ pair Memoria (Evening Star Benchmark 72 Handicap, 1100m) and French Marine (Benchmark 72 Handicap, 1250m).
“Anna was keen to ride Memoria (pictured above) again because she won on her at a metropolitan midweek meeting held at Gosford on April 10 last year,” Lane said.
“That was a significant moment as Memoria was the third leg (she had scored earlier on Zouatica and Bethencourt) of her first city treble.”
Story John Curtis, January 30, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos
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