Talented sprinter Mufhasa outshone a star-studded field to win the $200,000 Group 1 Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings yesterday.
The Hawke's Bay weight for age feature included locally trained and recently named New Zealand horse of the year Jimmy Choux, favourite Wall Street, the NZ champion middle distance horse, and brilliant mare Scarlett Lady, going for win number seven in a row.
However regular New Zealand rider Sam Spratt had the Stephen McKee-trained seven-year-old nicely placed from the jump, settling perfectly behind pacesetter Fleur de Lune, on the 1400m trip.
Spratt made her move on Mufhasa just after the turn and the Pentire gelding soon had three lengths on the field as they straightened on the run home.
Jonathan Riddell had Jimmy Choux charging home late from the pack to run a promising second, a length and a quarter from the winner.
