Racing: Spratt holds whip hand

For the record, jockey Sam Spratt didn't really have a rubber band on her wrist to ensure she didn't part ways with her whip.

"I didn't, actually, but we were joking about how I should put one on or put a bit of glue on so, no, not this time," an affable Spratt said after winning the group one Windsor Park Plate in Hastings on Saturday.

The 27-year-old from Pukekohe, Auckland, said losing the whip didn't really play on her mind when the barrier gates crashed open before the 1600m feature.

"It's one of those things that happens. I've never done it in my riding career before so it just had to be one of those races where it had to happen and it happened," she explained, after she and 10-time group one champion Mufhasa had to settle for fourth place in the Makfi Challenge Stakes on the course on September 1.

"If it was a maiden race or an ordinary one it wouldn't have been that bad but just because it was a group one but I won't be doing it again."

While the wide draw at No 10 had to be overcome on Saturday, Spratt said it offered the advantage of having the time to come across without others boxing her in.

"Over a mile Mufhasa can set a pretty good pace so it makes it quite difficult for others to keep up and kick on."

Having ridden Mufhasa in eight group one races to date, Spratt couldn't foresee accomplishing such a feat on another horse in her career.

"And not only group ones but God knows how many group twos and other big races so I wouldn't know how many wins I've had on him but it'd be pretty close to the 15 to 20 mark."

Horse owner David Archer labelled a blushing Spratt a "pin-up girl" for racing but the effervescent jockey laughed it off.

"Gosh, I don't know. People have put that on me, I didn't put that on myself.

"It's quite light-hearted so I take it with a pinch of salt, really," said Spratt who would easily become the pin-up girl with just her winning smile and bright outlook.

"As I said about the whip situation, I could have taken it to heart and got wound up about it but I took that with a pinch of salt, too, and learn from my mistakes to carry on."

A jovial Spratt was intending to have a couple of quiet drinks to celebrate.

"I only take two drinks and I'm drunk because I'm only little but I don't do a huge amount of celebrating."

Her 7-year-old son, Cody, no doubt will share his mother's joy.

"The only horse he knows is Mufhasa and he always asks me, 'Mum, when are you riding Mufhasa because he's fast as?'," a brimming Spratt said, adding Cody wasn't generally interested in horses.

While it was disappointing not to be in the equation to ride Mufhasa in Australia next month, Spratt said it was difficult for female jockeys to break into the overseas market.

She said it was better for a jockey in Australia to ride Mufhasa.

"I want best for the horse so I'm quite happy to put my hand up and give the reins to someone else.

"One day I might like to go over there to give it a go although as a female you're not expected to go there to make great bounds," she said, keen to go even as a spectator to see how jockeys ply their trade in different countries.

"At the moment I'm quite happy in New Zealand," said Spratt, who has been involved with the industry for 12 years but only ridden seven, after a nasty injury from a fall put her out for four years.

Archer was delighted with Spratt and Mufhasa's prowess.

"She's a delightful lady and a good rider. She had her hiccup with dropping the whip in the last race here but those things happen.

"Top jockeys do drop their whips once in a blue moon and it happened to be in the Makfi," Archer said, adding her ride on Mufhasa was impeccable.

He said the only other New Zealand-bred and owned horses to hit the double-figure group one victories were Rough Habit with 11 and Sunline 13.

"While 10 wins doesn't mean much, really, but you end up loving a horse like Mufhasa so, so much.

"He's like one of the family and the admiration gets so deep it's not funny.

"The greatest thing is when you hear people talk about Mufahsa with so much love and affection and that just makes us so happy."

The great galloper has now earned his owners $3.4 million.

"A lot of that money will go into the coffers to pay for the losing horses because in this game - and I don't care who you are - if you own horses long enough you will end up not making money out of it.

"Even the wonderful winnings of Mufhasa, if we kept racing for another 10 years, we won't get it back because you can't have champions all the time."

Father-and-son trainers Trevor and Stephen McKee, Archer said, weren't just adept at training horses but also great people.

"They make being with a horse fun - they communicate, they got to trainings and they turn it into a whole package. Stephen makes all the decisions but Trevor's always there because he's the Rock of Gibraltar."