Top jockey Sam Spratt has a simple wish for the next 12 months as she comes back from injury – to be riding at Christmas.
The 37-year-old returns to race riding on Wednesday at Te Rapa following injuries to both her ankles.
“I’d just like to complete a season. The year before these ankle injuries, I broke my collarbone and missed time then,” Spratt said.
“I haven’t ridden a Christmas-New Year period for a few years now, so just to do that would be pretty good.
“The injuries always seem to happen in October, so to get through then without injuring myself would be a start.”
The beginning of the season was difficult for Spratt due to the COVID-19 Delta lockdown. The popular hoop moved out of Auckland immediately prior to lockdown in August, but she returned at the end of September to be with her son once she realised the lockdown was not going to be a short one.
Then, in October, she broke her left ankle and was in a cast for some time. And just as she came back from that, she damaged the ligaments in her right ankle, which kept her off the track for another couple of weeks.
“Coming back from the ligament damage was almost tougher – at least with the broken ankle I was in plaster and I could move a little bit more,” she said.
“They are still tight but they’re not too bad. I go on Friday to see an orthopaedic surgeon to see if there’s something maybe they could do now to stop something serious down the track.
“I’ve had quite a few injuries over the years, but unless it’s really serious, I’m not really a fan of doing any operations.”
Spratt has been back in the saddle for a week, riding Sainte Elizabeth to win an open catchweight at the Ellerslie trials on Friday, and she picked up trial wins at Cambridge on Tuesday aboard Delectable and O’Lucy.
“I’m feeling really good. It’s just like riding a bike, and my fitness has been really good,” she said. “As soon as I was able to do a little bit more work with my ankle I did some hill work, and I’m definitely getting a lot better.”
Spratt’s only secured ride at Te Rapa is aboard Civil Unrest for trainers Fred and Lindsay Cornege in race 10, a maiden 1300m event. She was set to ride Vadiabeel for Clinton Isdale in a maiden 2100m contest but the filly has since been scratched.
“When I was at the Ellerslie trials they asked me if I wanted to ride them. I wasn’t going to start back that day, but I thought I had to start somewhere so I might as well,” she said.
“I want to ease back into it, rather than getting 10 rides or something ridiculous like that straight away. But ultimately the only way to get race fitness is to ride in races.”
Spratt has mostly ridden trackwork at Sunline Lodge in Ardmore, which had been the facility used by Stephen McKee until his recent retirement.
McKee has been one of Spratt’s greatest supporters over the years, and Spratt is still riding work at the facility since Sophia Orting and Derek Nolan have taken over the reins at Sunline Lodge.
“Sophia and Derek have taken over, but Stephen’s still got quite a few horses there, so at the moment I’ve just been riding work out there. I’m taking things day by day,” she said.
“I’m basically a freelancer and I’ve still got a lot of good supporters out there.”
Though getting to the end of the year is a significant goal, Spratt has a couple of milestones not too far away. She’s 75 victories away from reaching 1000 career wins in New Zealand, and she’d like a couple more successes at racing’s highest level as well.
“I’ve ridden 18 Group One winners, so I’d like to get to 20 before I hang the boots up. That would be a cool achievement,” she said. “But as long as I’m enjoying it I don’t see any reason to stop. I really enjoy the riding and everything that comes with it.”
