Heywood hopes it’s third time lucky with Front Page opportunity

Nick Heywood hopes it’s a case of third time lucky when he finally gets a ride on veteran Front Page in a rare trip to Sydney on Saturday.

Trainer Matt Dale has given the Goulburn jockey the chance to partner the two-time Kosciuszko winner in the listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill, where he was a $5.50 second-elect with TAB.

Jockey Nick Heywood.Credit: Getty Images

It will be the first time Heywood, last season’s Canberra premiership winner, has ridden Front Page in a race or trial, but he is more than familiar with the nine-year-old, which is his only booking on Saturday.

“I do most of my work for Matt Dale and we have a good relationship,” Heywood said.

“I’ve done most of his jump-outs and I’ve galloped him a fair few times.

“I jumped him out the other morning, and Matt came up to me and said, ‘do you want to ride him on the Saturday?’, and, well, you’re not going to say no to that opportunity.

“I was meant to ride him a couple of times throughout his career, but he was scratched or went up to Brisbane instead, so third time lucky I’ve got the sit on him.”

Heywood was down to ride Front Page at Randwick in the Bob Charley Stakes in June, but Dale opted to race him instead that day at Eagle Farm in the Moreton Cup, which he won with Tim Clark aboard.

Heywood said there was another missed opportunity in an earlier preparation and he was keen to make the most of this chance. He has 27 career city winners but most came during a stint with Peter and Paul Snowden as an apprentice.

His most recent win in town was with Mogo Magic at Randwick in July 2023 and he is yet to win a stakes-level race, although he took Another One to victory in the 2022 $1 million Country Championship final.

“I’m a heavyweight rider, so that limits the opportunities up that way, but it’s usually only if I get the sit on a good horse. I don’t want to go up there just for a haircut,” he said.

“If I get a good chance, I’m happy to go and win or be competitive. Otherwise, I can probably go somewhere else and have four or five rides, so you have to weigh it up.”

Front Page was sixth last start in the $2 million Kosciuszko (1200m), which he led until the final 100m, on October 18 at Randwick. He has gate five on Saturday and Heywood was confident of a bold showing.

“He’s in good order, he’s well placed, he’s drawn a nice gate and it’s at Rosehill, which is generally an on-pace track, so he should run well, hence why I jumped at the opportunity,” he said.

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