Heywood was taken to Wagga Base Hospital with concussion and a fractured left ankle after he fell from the Peter Maher-trained Murasap when he shied out past the post.

Heywood was due to undergo surgery on his ankle on Thursday but scans had also picked up a small bleed on the brain.

“I’ve got to have surgery to put a pin and screws into my ankle,” Heywood said.

“They also picked up a bleed on the brain but hopefully that’s gone now.”

Heywood, 22, has established himself as the leading rider in the Southern District since his return from a year with the Peter and Paul Snowden stable.

He won the Southern District premiership for the first time this year and was placed second after four months into the new season.

Heywood won’t know the full extent of his time on the sidelines until after surgery but admitted it does not look good.

“I’ll find out after surgery but I’ll be in a cast for six to eight weeks, then on crutches,” he said.

“It could be two or three months, but I can’t do much about it.”

Heywood thought he had got through the fall unscathed initially.

“I told them I was right. I got straight up and then couldn’t put any weight on my ankle,” he said.

Heywood was due to ride at Canterbury on Friday night. The injury is also likely to rule him out of next year’s Country Championships series.

“I had some good rides coming up too,” he said.

Heywood was fourth on the NSW country premiership with 34 wins.

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