Nick Heywood is usually not given to pre-race nerves. On his usual round of Riverina race meetings, you wouldn’t find a more composed rider in the jockey’s room. Last Saturday was different.
Deep down Nick believed Another One was the best horse in the $500,000 Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick. After all, the gelding was only a three year old when he ran second to Art Cadeau in the same race the previous year. Nick had no doubt that twelve months down the track the son of Super One was bigger, better and stronger. He just prayed for a trouble free run in the sixteen horse field.
The twenty six year old jockey was conscious of a few butterflies as he joined trainer Gary Colvin and some of the horse’s large ownership group in the Theatre Of The Horse. Gary agreed with Nick’s assessment that Another One should race wherever he was comfortable in the field. “I was confident he’d handle the heavy track,” said Nick. “It was a So7 when he ran second in last year’s Championship Final and he’s been OK in a couple of other races at home. It was just a matter of getting the right run under the conditions.”
Tactics were decided the moment the gates opened. Another One began a little tardily and was in front of only two horses as they joined the course proper. At the 600m he was in front of four horses some eight lengths from the leader. Nick elected to duck inside horses coming up the rise and made his run five off the fence. “Hugh Bowman made his run on Honeycreeper a little further out in the Adrian Knox but that filly really accelerated over the last 200m,” said Heywood. “I took the punt by staying a little closer in and my bloke was handling it well. Commando Hunt was charging late but was never going to reach us in time. It was my biggest win to date, and a massive thrill.”
Nick found a fast lane on Another One in Saturday's Country Championship Final on a H9 track at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Trainer Gary Colvin purchased Another One under extraordinary circumstances at the 2019 Inglis Classic Sale. The trainer spotted the chestnut colt in the small parade ring just outside the selling auditorium and was instantly hooked. “I hadn’t studied his pedigree or his x/rays and here he was about to enter the sale ring,” said Gary. “I took an awful punt in putting my hand up. He was knocked down to me for $18,000. It was a risk not checking his x/rays but I loved what I saw. He was leggy and rangy and had a lot of maturing to do, but he was beautifully balanced and had a lot of character.”
Gary syndicated his new acquisition among existing clients, retaining a small share himself. The group had raced three horses with some success previously, which generated the name choice of “Another One” for their new purchase. Some of the owners live in the Riverina, with others in Sydney and as far north as Townsville. Gary has handled the horse with great patience and astute judgement.
Following Saturday’s triumph Another One’s record stands at just fifteen starts for six wins and four placings for a very healthy $783,920. Nick Heywood has been the jockey on eight occasions for five wins and three placings. Country racing’s latest glamour combination will attract plenty of attention when they contest the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate on May 5th - a race Gary Colvin dearly wants to add to his CV.
The only legacy of the H9 track were a few spots of mud on Nick Heywood's face - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Nick Heywood was initially apprenticed to Leeton trainer Peter Clancy who’d gained recognition as a jockey tutor following the success of his former pupil Tim Clark. “Peter concentrates on making you a horseman first and a jockey second,” said Nick. “He’s a wonderful bloke and a great teacher. I still pop over to Leeton if he needs my help at jump outs or trials.”
The young jockey later transferred to his father Chris Heywood at Wagga by which time he was ready to ride in races. Nick says he was getting close to fifty rides before that elusive first winner came along. Chris put his son on an Elvstroem mare called Memphis Flash at Deniliquin. He “got the monkey off his back” with a copybook ride to win a BM45 on the $3.60 favourite. He won two more races later on Memphis Flash at Wagga and Albury - not the best mare he’s ever ridden but one of his favourites in those early years.
You’d be hard pressed to find a jockey who can’t remember the name of his first city winner. In Nick’s case it was a gelding called Burradoo who won by 4.3 lengths at Warwick Farm for Canberra trainer Mick Miladinovic on August 24th 2016. Two weeks later Burradoo and young Heywood repeated the dose at Canterbury by a widening 2.3 lengths. The big margins indicate that horse and rider got on famously.
Nick's first metropolitan winner on a drizzly day at Warwick Farm. He won by a big margin on Burradoo - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Nick was well into his apprenticeship when arrangements were made for him to complete his time with Peter and Paul Snowden at Randwick. “It was a magical twelve months,” Nick recalls. “There were many highlights but a couple stand out. Firstly I got to ride Redzel in a lot of his work. Without a doubt he’s the best horse I’ve ever been on. Secondly the Snowdens gave me many opportunities on the provincial tracks. When I finished my time with them, I only needed one more win to lose my provincial claim. Team Snowden didn’t train the winner that gave me the biggest thrill of all. Newcastle trainer Jay Hopkins put me on a horse called Got Unders at Randwick on January 21st 2017. To land a winner on your 21st birthday is a pretty special feeling.”
What a birthday present! Nick wins on Got Unders at Randwick on the occasion of his 21st birthday 2017 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Total dedication to his craft is the only thing keeping Nick Heywood in the saddle. He rode Another One at 57.5kgs on Saturday and was probably 61 or 62kgs by Monday - this is the case week in and week out. “I’ve slowly developed a routine that works for me,” he said. “I don’t eat breakfast at all. For the rest of the time I just “pick” at food. Fish, sushi and salads are my only options but never too much at once. I try to do some exercise after every meal even if I just take the dog for a walk. I go on 5 -10km runs several times a week. I have a spa at home which I can heat up to forty degrees if I choose. I can lose half a kilo in fifteen minutes in the spa.”
The ability to handle the tedium of travel is another plus for the dedicated jockey. Here’s just one recent example of the punishment he endures on the road to ply his trade as a professional jockey. His good friend trainer Nathan Doyle invited him to ride several horses at the Gosford trials on Friday morning March 18th. He’d ridden three horses at Wagga the day before but was at Gosford in plenty of time. Nick’s presence so far from home attracted plenty of attention, and before he knew it he was down to ride in eight trials for Doyle, Kristen Buchanan, Paul Perry and R&M Freedman collectively.
Nick could have been forgiven for cruising quietly home to Wagga and taking himself to bed. Not this dedicated jockey. He’d promised good supporter Danny Williams that he would ride Rent A Rock in the last race at Goulburn, and two year old Bandi’s Boy in a barrier trial immediately after. He fulfilled all commitments and suffice to say, slept well on the Friday night.
He took the liberty of having Saturday off in order to charge the batteries for another massive upcoming commitment. Sunday 20th found him at Scone where he had three rides. He finished second on Jocat for Cody Morgan, before notching a double on Super Bright for Nathan Doyle and Cavalier Charles in the Country Championship Wild Card for Matt Dale. After a result like that, the return journey to Wagga was much more tolerable.
Nick is very involved in the riding career of his partner Hannah Williams, a second year apprentice with Another One’s trainer Gary Colvin. Hannah, who’s nudging the 50 win milestone is showing a great deal of promise. She rides work regularly alongside Nick who closely monitors her progress. Hannah, along with Nick’s sister Brittany and her fiance Darrell Burnett were all at Randwick to cheer the Wagga duo home in the eighth running of the Country Championship. Hannah’s post race tears provided the perfect finishing touches to a very special day.
A proud moment for the heavyweight jockey who makes many sacrifices to stay in the saddle - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Nick is proud of his record on the talented Handle The Truth - two rides for two wins including the TAB Highway at Rosehill 03/11/2018 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - A day they'll never forget! Another One's large ownership group celebrating a win in the Championship Final - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)