Leading Wagga jockey Nick Heywood is eyeing off a March 1 return to race riding.
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Heywood has been sidelined since December 12 after fracturing his ankle in a fall in a barrier trial at Wagga.
The injury required surgery with screws inserted and Heywood has only returned to trackwork this week.
He hopes to make his return to the races at Wagga on March 1, with his sights set on the Goulburn heat of the Championships the following day.
"I pulled up ok from Tuesday (trackwork) and next week I'll do three days and see how I go," Heywood said.
"I'll go back on the 25th (of February) to hopefully get a clearance to ride at Wagga on the 1st of March."
Heywood has been booked to ride Common Purpose in the $150,000 Goulburn qualifier of the Country Championships.
Common Purpose is on the third line of betting at $11.00 for the $500,000 final at Randwick on April 6.
Heywood has ridden Common Purpose twice for two wins and is looking forward to reuniting with the five-year-old.
"He's got good enough form as anything in the race," he said.
"He'll have the blinkers back on and he's a different horse with blinkers.
"I think he's at least a top two contender."
Heywood expects to be right to ride.
"As long as everything goes to plan," he said.
"I'm working on slowly progressing with trackwork. I won't get too many race rides to start with and work my way back into it.
"It's getting better all of the time."
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