The three-year-old gelding produced a fighting victory in the McKinnon Seed Cleaning BM58 Handicap, 1800m, at Burrumbeet on Sunday to give his trainer the second leg of a winning double.

Payne had earlier claimed success with stablemate Kipe, who broke through to win the Mt Misery Sand & Soil Maiden Plate, 1800m.

Both horses were ridden by Rose Pearson.

Payne was quick to point out his two winners were perhaps more promising than the picnic grade of the annual Burrumbeet meeting.

He confirmed Matamanoa is bound for Tasmania for the 2200m derby in early February and believes Kipe is a stayer that will be much better next preparation.

Matamanoa is now a winner of two races from five starts, while Kipe broke his maiden status at his fourth competitive run.

“These horses aren’t the worst horses. These horses will go somewhere one day,” Payne said.

“They are coming here for a day out and the surface is always really good here, so they pull up really well.

“From a trainer’s point of view, it’s lovely for the horses to be sound tomorrow morning.”

Payne is a Burrumbeet Cup winner as a jockey, scoring aboard Our Money Tree in the 1991 edition of the race.

He is also a brother to Melbourne Cup-winning rider Michelle.

In other highlights on a big day of racing, Ballarat-based apprentice Sam Payne rode Here’s To Saturday to victory in the The Stag Hotel Learmonth BM52 Handicap, 1000m, for Colac’s John Slater, while Swan Hill-based trainer Austy Coffey took out the T.B. White & Sons BM64 Handicap, 1350m, with Second Option. The horse was ridden by Holly McKechnie.

Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman and hoop Jessica Eaton combined with Favonski, who produced a brilliant first-up triumph in the Edge Advisory Partners Maiden Plate, 1000m.