Lankan Rupee is Craig Newitt’s headline horse for the spring but the jockey believes he can make a Group One impact before the champion sprinter’s return to the races.

The Memsie Stakes on Saturday is the first Group One race in Australia for the 2014/15 season and Newitt rides the Gai Waterhouse-trained Sweet Idea.

The mare was a first-up winner of the Group Two Missile Stakes in Sydney and Newitt jumped aboard her for the first time on Monday to ride her in an easy workout in Melbourne.

“I’ll go in tomorrow morning and gallop her,” Newitt said.

“She’s bright in herself. She’s feeling well and I’m sure she’ll work well in the morning and go to the races on Saturday and be very hard to beat.”

Sweet Idea has never raced in the left-handed direction but Newitt is convinced her racing style will be suited to Caulfield in the 1400m weight-for-age feature.

“There will be a lot of horses in the race that will get back but she will put herself on the speed and she’s fit and tough,” Newitt said.

“She’ll give a big sight for a long way.”

The Mick Price-trained Lankan Rupee, the world’s highest-rated sprinter, will take another step towards his race return when he has a jump-out at Caulfield on Tuesday.

He was given an easy time when second in a barrier trial on heavy ground at Cranbourne last Tuesday.

He is scheduled to make his much-anticipated return in the Group Two McEwen Stakes on Saturday week.

Newitt has had a good start to the season with 12 winners in Victoria so far this month, including five in town.

His Caulfield book includes the Mick Price-trained Jabali in the Group Three McNeil Stakes (1200m) and Scandiva for Anthony Cummings in the Group Three Cockram Stakes (1200m).

Damien Oliver rode Jabali to his first-up sixth as favourite in the Vain Stakes on August 16 but he will ride Awesome Rock in Saturday’s race.

“They probably expected a bit more of him first-up but he’ll improve with that run under his belt and I’m sure he won’t be too far away,” Newitt said of Group One-placed colt Jabali.