BENDIGO'S newest trainer Jarrod Robinson has wasted no time notching up the first winner from his new base.
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The former Kyneton trainer scored a Mount Wycheproof Cup win with his slow-maturing stayer Only A Mother.
A five-year-old gelding, Only A Mother was having only his seventh race start and first since late-May.
The son of Irish sire Lope de Vega showed plenty of fight to overcome a dogged challenge from Duke of Boneo, with the Graham Browney/Bendigo-trained Montauk finishing strongly to grab third.
Only A Mother was confidently ridden by Juana Andreou.
Robinson, who has relocated to Barn D at the Bendigo racecourse, was rapt to be able to get a cup win with his first first-ever starter at Wycheproof.
"Even though he was first-up, (1800m) is about as short as you would like to run him," he said.
"He didn't start racing until he was older because he took so long to mature.
"He'd had enough his first prep and we decided to give him a good spell, but it was time to bring him back (on Saturday)."
While he has nothing specifically marked out for Only A Mother, Robinson hoped there might be more country cup wins in store for the horse.
"We will probably have to step him up in distance now - he is just a real stayer," he said.
"He's not exactly brilliant, so we'll have to find some longer races for him."
It was the second career win for the gelding, who broke his maiden at Echuca at his fifth start in May.
A handy race record from seven starts reads two wins and four placings for prize earnings of $39,000.
Robinson, who lives in Castlemaine, hopes the shift to Bendigo provides his career, which kick-started at Kerang three years ago before the shift to Kyneton, with a boost.
"Where I was at Kyneton, I was sharing with another trainer. Trying to grow our stable, it just wasn't working having two trainers in the one place," he said.
"Moving up to Bendigo gives us our own place and gives us a chance to build our stable up and do our own thing.
"We've only got eight (horses) at the moment, but we did have 20. With the move we have cut down a bit, but we are going to try and build that back up again with the move."
Robinson has plenty of quality neighbours on course, with multiple Group race-winners Brent Stanley and Nick Smart in Barns C and B and Brad Cole in Barn A.
Horses to keep an eye on from the Robinson stable include city winner Mean Mister and the promising three-year-old colt Reard.
"Mean Mister is out in the paddock now, but won four races last prep and won in town, while Reard won his maiden by five-lengths," he said.
"Both of them will be back in around Christmas time.
"It's a bit quiet (for the stable) at the moment, but hopefully we'll get stuck into it soon and have some good horses come in."
A good day for the Bendigo training ranks at Wycheproof included wins for Stanley with Battleborn and Rod Symons with Mulga Lil, while Kyneton's George Osborne saluted with Being Dazzled.
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