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By Graeme White

Five winners from his first 13 rides this season has jockey Nick Heywood flying high after the first few days of the new racing season.

Heywood rode three winners including the Cup at Forbes on Sunday and heads into Moruya on Monday with another strong book of rides.

He will ride fancied runners Golden Fairy ($3.60 on TAB) in the Markeys Saddlery Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1435m) and Fourth Spargo ($2.40 favourite) in the Southern Highlands Food Class 2 (1020m).

Jockey Nick Heywood - has six rides at Moruya today. Image by Bradley Photographers

The shortest priced favourite he will ride I debut winner Thoughtful ($1.70 fav) in the race named after him after he won the Moruya premiership last season.

He is also on fancied runners Aunt Roberta ($9.50) who will be having her first start for leading trainer Matthew Dale in the final race.

Heywood rode 93 winners last season after setting a goal of 70 and after reaching that wanted to get to 80 before reaching his final tally.

“It is the most winners I have ridden in a season and it would be nice if one day I could get to one hundred,” he said.

He finished tenth in the NSW country premiership with far less race rides than many of his top bracketed riders.

Moruya trainer Jamie Stewart feels Golden Fairy has her opportunity to break through at her third start back from a spell on her home surface.

Raced by Stewart and his father Bruce, Golden Fairy finished second at Moruya first-up behind Good Prize before running fifth to Jinsoku.

“It’s the right race for her – home track and race fitness after a couple of runs. If she couldn’t run well I would be disappointed,” Stewart said.

Heywood has added incentive to win his own race with Thoughtful who was impressive winning at Goulburn after some solid trials.

Moruya’s top trainer last season, Keith Dryden, could also win his own race in the first of seven races with Levis Criminalbus ($5).

The galloper is first-up from a spell at 1310m and only faces five rivals in a suitable race.

Canberra trainer Scott Jamieson is planning a repeat performance from Wonder Brahma ($9.50) in the Ronnie Bundy Memorial Benchmark 58 (1600m).

Ron rode the first ever winner at the Moruya tracks and the race will be a sentimental occasion for his wife Lynda who will start Never Lose Faith. Wonder Brahma provided Jamieson with his first official race winner last start.

“He hasn’t gone backwards since and the plan will be to ride him the same and be up in the speed despite drawing out a bit,” he said.

Wonder Brahma turned nine last week, but he isn’t oldest horse in the race with My Blue Jeans ($9.50) at 10 years of age. My Blue Jeans will race for the 116th time and was able to win at Moruya two starts ago.

The track is rated a Soft 5 with jockeys in recent times electing to race wide into the home straight which may not be the case today.

“We had to actually water the track last week so I think the track will be a bit different to how it has been,” Moruya secretary Ken Brown said.

“The inside section is very good for this time of the year so I don’t think you will see the jockeys getting out too wide.”

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Moruya here