New Zealand jockey Samantha Spratt has warmed up for her big assignment aboard King Mufhasa in next week's Doncaster with a Group One victory on home turf.Spratt won her fifth major race of the season when she guided Prince Kaapstad from a wide draw to victory in the Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.One of the outsiders in the Easter Handicap field, Prince Kaapstad is trained in by Richard Yuill who also provided Spratt with the first of her Group One winners for 2008-09, Gallion
New Zealand jockey Samantha Spratt has warmed up for her big assignment aboard King Mufhasa in next week's Doncaster with a Group One victory on home turf.
Spratt won her fifth major race of the season when she guided Prince Kaapstad from a wide draw to victory in the Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
One of the outsiders in the Easter Handicap field, Prince Kaapstad is trained in by Richard Yuill who also provided Spratt with the first of her Group One winners for 2008-09, Gallions Reach in the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.
Spratt then added Group One wins with King Mufhasa in the Telegraph Handicap (1200m) at Trentham in January and the Waikato Sprint (1400m) the following month.
A couple of weeks later she chalked up Group One No 4 with Culminate in the Otaki Weight-For-Age (1600m).
King Mufhasa was third in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in Sydney on April 4 after hitting the lead early in the straight.
Spratt is sure Mufhasa will be improved by the race.
"He hadn't raced for eight weeks, it was a heavy track and he just came to the end of his run the last bit," Spratt told NZPA.
"I expect him to improve a lot. It's obviously going to be a tough field but he's going to be competitive."
A recent 3-1/2 week suspension which cost her the ride on Coolmore Classic runner-up Culminate also opened the door for apprentice James McDonald to take the lead in the New Zealand premiership.
But the premiership was not a priority, she said.
"I'm not too worried about that. I'm more interested in picking up the good races," she said.
"I'm not going to travel around (the country) chasing the premiership. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'm not going to be gutted."
Spratt has ridden 80 winners this season with McDonald on 86.
The Stephen McKee-trained King Mufhasa is currently at $15 for the Doncaster (1600m) with All Silent the $4.60 favourite with TAB Sportsbet.
The final field and barrier draw will be declared on Tuesday.