The late surge that carried Nash Rawiller to an unlikely premiership has continued into the new season with the Sydney champion riding four winners at Randwick on Saturday.
It was the third Saturday in four weeks that Rawiller rode half the Sydney program. He missed last Saturday to ride in Darwin but at the previous two cemented his place as the leading rider, overtaking Hugh Bowman on July 27 with one meeting left in the season.
Rawiller rode Lucripetous and Hidden Kisses to victory for premier trainer Chris Waller on Saturday, steered Rain Affair to win the Group Three Missile Stakes for Joe Pride and rounded out the day aboard veteran Bay Window for Gwenda Markwell.
"Mentally I'm in a good place," Rawiller said.
"My confidence is high, although as I get older I can still keep my confidence up.
"My manager Brett Grant has been amazing. We have only been together four months but he is so particular about his form and all the little things.
"As an ex-rider he has a good knowledge of horses and is a very hard worker.
"It's great to ride four winners but I got beaten a half head on The Great Snowman so it could have been five."
While he rides for all the top trainers, Rawiller said it was a special pleasure to partner nine-year-old Bay Window for the Kembla Grange-based Markwell.
"These country trainers can take older horses and rejuvenate them and give them a new lease of life," he said.
"They are the unsung heroes."