Craig Newitt has more confidence in Lankan Rupee winning the Newmarket Handicap than he did a year a go.

A nine-time winner on the champion sprinter, Newitt chose to ride Lankan Rupee's Mick Price-trained stablemate Samaready in 2014, with Chad Schofield getting the victory.

Now based in Singapore, Newitt flies in on Saturday morning for the Group One contest at Flemington.

Lankan Rupee has drawn the outside gate nine from where Newitt said he would be able to keep an eye on his rivals including Terravista and Chautauqua, who had the better of him in the Darley Classic.

"We've drawn the outside so we get to have a look at the whole field and there's not one horse there that I'd swap him for," Newitt said.

Newitt said he had considered himself fortunate to have partner some of the best sprinters of recent times including five-time Group One winner Miss Andretti.

"I've been very fortunate that I've ridden some really good sprinters, two of the best that have been around for a very long time bar Black Caviar and Hay List," Newitt said.

"Miss Andretti, she was one of the top rated sprinters in the world when she was racing and this bloke's rated the highest in the world."

Newitt, who has been in Singapore in December, returned to ride Lankan Rupee to victory in the Lightning Stakes and has been in regular contact with Dale Smith who has kept the saddle warm in trackwork.

"I spoke to Dale on Tuesday after his gallop and he believes he's improved since his first-up run," Newitt said.