Nick Olive wins first Queanbeyan Cup as a local

But it was also a win for some owners doing it tough in flood-hit Forbes.

It was also a nice birthday present for Olive, who turned 50 on Thursday.

Jockey Brendan Ward timed the run perfectly to guide Invincible Dash to victory in the Queanbeyan Cup (2000 metres) on Sunday.

It was Olive's third Cup, but his first as a Queanbeyan trainer - having made the move across the border from Canberra due to crippling workers' compensation costs.

Favourite Olympic Theatre jumped well and went straight to the lead, with trainers Richard and Will Freedman opting to head to Queanbeyan instead of the Taree Gold Cup.

He was joined on the outside by Zariz No Water.

Olympic Theatre dashed three lengths clear at the top of the home straight, but Invincible Dash enjoyed the perfect sit in behind on the fence and he reeled him back in to win by half a length.

The Joseph and Jones-trained Roman was third.

"We're starting to get settled in here and things are starting to go alright now," Olive said.

"It's been a challenge, but it's been a lot of hard work over the five weeks that we've been here - and not everything's gone right - but we're definitely starting to get things into place and how we want them.

"It's a big thrill today. It's probably a bigger thrill for the staff and the team. They've worked really hard.

"It's really satisfying to see them all here and enjoying it. It's great."

Some of Invincible Dash's owners live in Forbes, which was one of the many NSW towns being decimated by floods at the moment.

Forbes was one of the many towns that's been hit by flooding of the Lachlan River, with towns along the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers also struggling.

Olive hoped this would bring a smile to their faces.

"They've bene battling the floods, they've been hit pretty bad," he said.

"It's a big thrill for them too. They've had their arses hanging out basically, trying to look after the town and their businesses and so forth.

"I'm pretty happy for them."

Invincible Dash was coming off a fourth in the Federal (1600m) at Canberra's Thoroughbred Park last weekend and an 11^th in the $500,000 Little Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.

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Olympic Theatre finished ninth in the Little Dance - just one-and-a-half lengths ahead of Invincible Dash, but Olive's six-year-old gelding was seven kilograms better off in the weights.

It had Olive confident going into the Queanbeyan Cup.

"The perfect ride. Wardy rode an absolute gem, couldn't ask for a better ride mate," he said.

"He rode the horse perfect.

"[Invincible Dash] ran a super race [in the Little Dance] and he drifted in the market from $5 out to $13 late and we were confident he'd go well.

"He met the favourite seven kilos better than he did in the Little Dance. He's been racing well in good races without winning, but he was back in the right race today."

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