Two Wins To Ropiha Stable

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31317, 13 March 1967, Page 4

Two Wins To Ropiha Stable

The Woodville trainer, E. Ropiha, made another of his notable Trentham “raids” on Saturday, winning two races, including the rich Thompson Handicap, and securing a close second in one of the other events.

Ropiha won the Thompson Handicap with General Myth, a South Island - bred three-year-old he races in partnership with Mr H. E. Hodgkinson.

Earlier he had won the two-year-old race with Chapel Belle, and in the last race on Saturday’s programme Caplin, carrying Mrs Ropiha’s colours, ran the winner, Sabaean Summer, to a neck.

General Myth splashed his way to an easy win in the Thompson Handicap and completed a T.A.B. double with Terrific worth £9B 4s for £l. There were 4654 tickets on this combination.

General Myth had won on the first day of the Taranaki meeting only four days earlier, but this success was not held in much regard by betters, and the Avocat General colt was the 9/10 favourite. Capably ridden by T. Whittington, General Myth dashed clear from a trailing position, and won running away by two lengths and a half from Surf Boy, which beat the second fancy, Pheroz Pride, by three-quarters of a length. General Myth has been en-

tered for the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton. He won a double in hack class there at the last New Zealand Cup meeting, and in his present form he should improve his strong record on the course if Ropiha brings him south for the Easter racing. The steady deterioration in the track under, at times, driving rain ended the chances of several form runners. One was Loofah which was made favourite for the Thompson Handicap. He finished ninth. Conditions were also against Pharasal, which finished eighth. Tara’s Pride was last in the Thompson Handicap. At his previous start on the course but with firm footing, he had beaten most of New Zealand’s top milers in the George Adams Handicap on the final day of the Wellington Cup meeting.

General Myth’s stablemate, Caplin, went under narrowly to Sabaean Summer in the Siiverstream Handicap. Sabaean Summer and Caplin were both well up in a bunch leading the chase after the pacemaking Identification, and both showed gameness in a sustained battle in the straight. Sir Polo, the win favourite,

also made a bid for the lead in the straight, but had to settle for third a length behand Caplin. After a failure at Masterton Sabaean Summer was one of the little-fancied runners and paid £lB 7s to win. He was ridden by the successful Waikato light-weight, M. A. Long. Family Ability Chapel Belle, a two-year-old half sister to Tesla and Reconvey, and a relation of Soneri, showed family ability in bad ground for a decisive win in the Plunket Nursery. Chapel Belle is a chestnut filly by Pakistan 11, and one of a big family left by the Foxlight mare, Sonorous, which was foaled in 1942. Chapel Belle won at her only start in the spring, and on Saturday she was having her first start for the autumn and her first from the Ropiha stable.

Chapel Belle had the early speed to get to the front beyond the half-mile and she ran the six furlongs with determination for a length win over Lord Mac.

Lord Mac’s placing was a feature of the race. The Takanini colt was one of the slow-

est away, but was four and a half lengths better than the second avourite, Aquarelle. Jazz picked up a few places for fourth in a gap of two lengths behind Aquarelle. Seventh was the best the favourite, Ima Martian, could manage.