Cahill produced a masterful front-running ride as Inverloch ($31) broke the hearts of his rivals to score an all-the-way win in the $200,000 Harvey Norman Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).

Former New Zealand couple Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young had never sent a horse to Wagga before but leave with the city's big race and a perfect strike rate.

Inverloch pinched a break rounding for home and fought for his life over the final 100 metres to hold off the two favourites, Yonkers ($3.90) and Spirit Ridge ($4.40) who dead heated for second, by a long neck.

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Cahill, who is based in Cowra, won his first Wagga Gold Cup 24 years ago and thought the opportunity to win the race for a second time had passed him by.

"It's great to win on days like this," the 53-year-old said.

"It's hard to win a maiden here, much less the cup. It's very satisfying.

"I think I've had about 30 rides in it and I've won it once before and a couple have been a bit stiff. To get to this stage of the career, you think you're never going to get on a chance in the race again but it's really nice to get a nice ride in it and really nice to be able to win."

Cahill, who had never spoken to Busuttin and Young before, said the ride came out of the blue.

"I only picked the ride up late, after acceptances so it was a bit unexpected. I'd never ridden for the trainer before or anything," he said.

"Trent's obviously quite successful, he's been a good old horse, he might be past his best a bit now but he said he had him really well and he said if you can get an easy lead, he would be hard to beat.

"He said get going from the 800 metres and it make it a true staying test and that's how it worked out. I had nothing left the last 100 but I didn't have to, we had enough to win.

"I could hear them coming and I was on tired legs so I knew if they were coming quick they might get me but full credit to the horse, he stuck his head out, tried his heart out and hung on."

Busuttin was glad they decided to head to Wagga.

"Fantastic. It's our first day here, first day at Wagga, first day of racing horses here and you have a look at the crowd, have a look at the atmosphere, it's fantastic, it's just great country racing," Busuttin said.

"Any win is great, you always want to win group ones, group twos, the big races in town but this is Australian racing, that's what we moved over here five years ago for. You see people embrace it, the Cups here, people just love it. It's very exciting to be part of, it's nice to be part of but better to win."

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Busuttin did not travel to Wagga full of confidence but thought his horse would give a sight.

"I said to the owners and everyone, the track is probably too dry but I know one thing, he'll be in front and he'll give a kick. Whether he's good enough or not, we'll see but we knew with his kick we'd be there a long way," he said.

"At the 200 I thought we'd won, at the 100 I thought I'd gone too early but no, it was good."

The six-time group one winning trainer explained that he booked Cahill on advice from others.

"He's just a good solid rider. Everyone told me when we booked him that he's a great rider," he said.

"He's a good professional jockey that's been there, done that and everyone told me he rides this track well. The ride was perfect."

Inverloch is owned by successful bloodstock group OTI Racing.

Yonkers produced a big run to share second. He was caught wide for the first 600 metres and then led the chasers into the straight. Spirit Ridge tracked Yonkers into the race and only began to really motor over the last 200m.

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