Rising apprentice Anna Roper preparing for big day at Rosehill Gardens

Anna Roper has rides for seven different trainers at Rosehill and wants to capitalise on that support with a few winners.

Anna Roper is eager to make the most of her opportunities at Rosehill Gardens and expects Spywire to be hard to beat with even luck on Saturday.

Roper has a handy book across the 10-event card with the Ciaron Maher-trained Spywire headlining the bunch in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m).

Spywire is the $2.70 favourite to score his first win since debut preparation as a two-year-old but wasn’t far away first-up with Roper aboard.

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The son of Trapeze Artist only got clear air halfway down the Rosehill straight before just missing behind form sprinter King’s Secret.

“Spywire was a tad unlucky first-up but also peaked on his run late,” Roper said.

“The team went into that run thinking he would take improvement off it and I think he certainly will, he was wirey in the coat.

“I think he will take massive improvement. He will need a little bit of luck from a tricky barrier.

“He is a horse that I don’t know if you can push or pull too much. You have to let him flow in his rhythm so as long as he gets some luck he should be very competitive.”

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Pony Soprano has been the subject of a substantial betting move with the Robert Agnew-trained galloper shortening from $19 into $6.50 for the TAB Highway Class 2 Handicap (1100m).

Roper kicks her day off on the country galloper and sees the son of Thronum as a great winning chance.

Anna Roper has seven rides with different trainers at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Pony Soprano has won two of his five starts already and Roper has piloted the three-year-old in both of his lead-up trials.

“He is a lightly-raced galloper but he targeted those Country Championships races with him and it just showed how much of an opinion he had of him,” Roper said.

“His trials have been really good. He is two from two first-up so if he is going as well as we think he is, he should be very competitive in a Highway.

“I think he is a nice horse.”

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Roper is excited to reconnect with the Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Don’t Forget Jack ($6.50) after helping the gelding to a first-up victory at Hawkesbury.

The son of Headwater was slowly away second-up when the pair combined and never feature but has since finished first and second at Rosehill Gardens.

“He missed the kick that day at Rosehill but seems to be jumping better,” Roper said.

“As long as he gets the start right from barrier one, that’s probably the concern.

“But he seems to be very consistent this preparation and Annabel is doing a great job with him.

“He is getting better and better with every run.”

Roper is aiming to go one better on Spywire (left), who finished second behind King’s Secret first-up last month. Picture: Getty Images

It will be the first time Roper pilots John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s Good Banter ($4.40 favourite).

The daughter of Tavistock scored a drought-breaking success at the same venue last start over 2000m and steps over a mile and a half this weekend.

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“Good Banter gets back up to the 2400m,” Roper said.

“I have never ridden the horse but the win was good last start so hopefully that adds a bit of confidence and she can go on with it.”

Roper has 22½ metropolitan wins and only sits behind Braith Nock (40 wins) and Molly Bourke (24 wins) on the Sydney apprentices premiership.

Stables have been making the most of Roper’s 2kg claim in the winter months with the apprentice set to ride for seven different trainers on the weekend.

She also rides Ringarosa (race 6), South Of India (race eight) and War Eternal (race 10).

“I have had terrific support in town from so many different stables,” Roper said.

“They have all been so consistent and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.

“Obviously you have to keep showing up and doing the job when they put you on but it’s great to have that sort of support and I am excited for Saturday and if everything goes to plan it will be a good day.”

Originally published as Rising apprentice Anna Roper preparing for big day at Rosehill Gardens