Metropolitan trainers Paul and Peter Snowden will guide the career of Nick Heywood who has made the move to their stable this week. Nick is pictured at the Country Championships heat at Wagga.
Harden jockey Nick Heywood has graduated to the bright lights of Sydney, taking up a position under trainers Peter & Paul Snowden. The move is timely, considering that he will be watching several locally-owned and trained horses at this week’s Wagga Gold Cup from the stands whilst he serves a suspension. The young jockey incurred a suspension for careless riding at a meeting in Gosford on Anzac Day, and will miss the Wagga Gold Cup as a result. His suspension finishes this Sunday. He demonstrated his mettle by riding two Godolphin Stable horses at Hawkesbury on Saturday, coming 7th on Careless and 8th on Mohave. Darren Beadman, now assisting the Godolphin team under trainer John O’Shea, told Sporting News “We heard that he was coming to Sydney so we thought it would be a good chance to use his 3kg claim on a couple of ours that have a bit of weight.” “He rides well around the provincial and country areas so we’re excited to put him on. He won on a horse called Falcao the other day at Kembla and I thought he rode it well,” he added. Heywood has been doing track work with the Snowdens, who have won a host of Group 1 races, such as the Golden Slipper, Blue Diamond twice, Caulfield Guineas twice, Sires Produce twice, Champagne Stakes three times, Spring Champion Stakes three times, The Golden Rose three times, plus a host of other Group 1 races featuring many stars of the turf including champions Earthquake, Guelph and Forensics. He will be attending the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup as a spectator before returning to Sydney. The two-day event has a cash purse of $222,500 up for grabs on Thursday including the $100,000 1200m Wagga Town Plate. Nick will be watching two of his father Chris Heywood’s runners in Leucura and Mitchell Road with Not Too Sure the second emergency for the 16 race field. Wallendbeen trainer Tricia Anderson will have Brahmagiri run in Race 1 on Thursday in the 1000m Keoghs Plant Hire Maiden Handicap, whilst Scott Spackman will have Murtajewel in Race 3. Chris Heywood will have two additional runners in Race 2 and Race 5 with She Excites and Hagah $355,000 is on offer on Friday, with the Heywood trained High Opinion racing in the $150,000 2000m Wagga Gold Cup main event.
