FORMER Nyngan trainer Brett "Snow" Robb has been named the 2022 NSW Country Racing Trainer of the Year in only the third year of running his own stable. 

The youngest of Nyngan racing stalwarts Rodney and Wendy Robb’s three children, Snow, 34, moved to Dubbo in 2020 and in only a short time has enjoyed success across western NSW as well as in the city.  

At the beginning of this year Robb Racing had a goal to train 45 winners. They ended up with a table-topping 58 and a half, and more than $1 million in prizemoney. 

Although young, Snow has served a long apprenticeship. Before obtaining his trainers licence, he worked on the railway whilst helping his father in his down time. 



As Rodney made the decision to scale back his own training workload to spend more time doing other things, Snow gradually took up the reins and the two worked side by side in Nyngan before Snow and his partner, jockey Maddy Wright, set up on their own.  

 “There’s no doubt I learned a lot working with Dad. The way I trained a horse in Nyngan with him is the same way that I train them here in Dubbo,” he said. 

 In the short time it's been in Dubbo, the Robb Racing team has gone from strength to strength, winning some significant races including the WRL NSW Country Championship (Great Buy); a TAB Highway Class 3 at Rosehill (Boom Boom Basil) and a NSW Country Picnics Championship with (On A Promise).  

 “2022 has been a great year for us. Last year we trained 35 winners and at the beginning of this year we wrote a goal on the board to get 45 winners. We ended up with 58 and a half and now the staff have set a new goal to train 65 next year. I’m not sure how that will go but we will give it a crack,” Snow said. 

 “Everyone gets a real buzz out of it. Last year we were getting a winner on average every three weeks. This year with 58 winners we were averaging a winner a week and you start getting used to it - if we went 10 days without a winner everyone was getting edgy, saying when’s the next winner?” 

 Robb Racing employs eight people over two sites in Dubbo and has 65 horses on the books, with about half in work at one time. His owners are both local and from further afield.  

 Former cricketer and Fox Sports commentator Kerry O’Keefe part owns the Robb-trained Gallant Star. 

 “I’ve followed a lot of Brett Robb’s horses in the bush as they all present at some stage. He’s a very gifted horseman,” O’Keefe said. 

 It is a sentiment shared by anyone who grew up going to pony club in the 1990’s and the 2000’s when the Robb family was competing in everything from mounted games to show jumping with success. 

 Later there was time riding and breaking in horses in western Queensland, all of which has helped honed the skills, and the work ethic, needed to succeed in racing. 

 One downside to the 2022 racing season has been the ongoing wet weather which has forced the re-location or cancellation of many meetings particularly across western NSW. 

 “It’s frustrating for the owners when they have horses in full training but there isn’t many dry tracks around,” Snow said. 

 Even with so many horses on the go, Snow still has some sentimental favourites. Current Robb Racing stable star, Dalavin was reared as a foal by his sister Jodi Kilmartin, and broken in by Snow.  

 Then there’s A Magic Zariz who has been with Snow since his obtained his licence.  

 “He had this virus and was so sick we thought we’d lose him. I slept in his stable with him at one stage.”