While Matthew calls Taree home these days, he is from Muswellbrook where his younger brother, Andrew, has four in work and hoping to expand that number quite soon.

Andrew celebrated a second win in three starts with Mac’s Reward when the three-year-old gelding proved too strong for his opposition in the Tamworth City Toyota Colts and Geldings Class 1 Handicap.

Courtney van der Werf rekindled her winning ride on the son of Reward’s For Effort at Scone two starts previous when she guided the talented young sprinter in between horses to beat Ken Lantry’s Serious star with Michelle Fleming’s Split The Atom third.

A return to a good track at Tamworth was all that Mac’s Reward needed, trainer Andrew said after the win.

“I shouldn’t have started him on the heavy track at Scone,” he admitted.

The gelding had won his previous start at Scone on a good 4 but finished fifth to War Hero on a heavy 8 on Country Championship Qualifier day.

Robinson had not galloped him in between either, rather just keeping him fresh and ticking over.

“He was right back on top of the ground today,” he said.

“It was a great ride too. She (Courtney van der Werf) is a gun rider.”

He will see how Mac’s Reward “pulls up” before making a decision as to where he starts next.

Robinson has had a “few issues” with the gelding and believes he has him right.

“He’s a horse with a ton of ability,” he said.

Older brother Matthew then saluted with Mosgiel Ruby in the FSDP Benchmark 65 Handicap (1400m) at Tamworth.

The Taree mare burst down the middle of the track to haul in leader Lucky Nic and then carve out a length-and-a-quarter from Greg Bennett’s Taste Of Money.

Aleacia Bennett’s Captain Scott was third.

It was Mosgiel Ruby’s sixth career win from 40 starts.

“It was a good win,” Matthew Robinson said.

“She was in a stronger class but down in weight.”

She is also a bargain buy, the daughter of Mutawaajid costing Matthew $4000 as a weanling and bursting through the $100,000 prizemoney barrier, her $11,200 winners cheque taking her prizemoney to an exact $104,540.

“I only bought her as a mate for another yearling I bred,” he said.

“I trained her half brother. Usually I breed four or five but that year I only had the one yearling.”

So buying the mate has turned out to be a master stroke, especially as Matthew, his mother and uncle are the registered owners.

Matthew had started his career working for John Hawkes at Crown Lodge in Sydney.

After “six or seven years” he moved back to Muswellbrook but couldn’t “find enough horses”.

So he ventured to Taree.