Nick Olive was a whirl of emotions.
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Invincible Dash had just stormed to a dashing victory in the 2022 Queanbeyan Cup, just weeks after he had packed up his stable and moved it across the border from Canberra Racecourse.
Olive didn't know what to think. It was a special win and a stunning way to start his new life as a Queanbeyan trainer.
Twelve months later and Olive will arrive at the track on Sunday far more settled and prepared for what's to come.
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Invincible Dash will again line up in the Queanbeyan Cup and is looking to defend his title.
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The gelding is currently second-favourite ($3.40) behind Norm Gardner's Upper House ($3.10).
It's been an up and down year for Invincible Dash, his rating making scheduling a tougher task for Olive, however he enters Sunday's race on the back of a second-place finish in the Cootamundra Cup earlier this month.
While his weight has risen from last year's edition, Olive is confident his runner can again provide a memorable Queanbeyan Cup victory.
"Now being based at Queanbeyan, it means a lot more," Olive said. "We'd love to win it on Sunday. We've won three cups before, it would be good to make it four. Being based here now, it means more to win it, being my hometown cup.
"Invincible Dash is going great, I couldn't be happier with him. He trialled at Canberra last Friday and went well, he had a little gallop on Thursday that was super and has come through that well, so he's ready to go."
![Nick Olive's Invincible Dash races to victory ahead of Olympic Theatre in last year's Queanbeyan Cup. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Nick Olive's Invincible Dash races to victory ahead of Olympic Theatre in last year's Queanbeyan Cup. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/c2fcaf15-7a73-4a59-a705-4d0708960f6c.jpg/r0_335_4707_2981_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's been a busy year for Olive as he's adapted to his new surroundings and found his feet in Queanbeyan.
The have been highs and lows, but through it all the stable has made steady progress and continued marching forward.
The trainer is patiently building a stable of horses capable of running in the city. Kimberley Secrets finished seventh in a race at Randwick on Saturday and is a mare with a promising future.
Olive, of course, enjoyed plenty of highs as a Canberra trainer, most memorably with Caulfield Cup runner-up and Melbourne Cup entrant Single Gaze.
This year, however, has taught the trainer plenty of lessons he hopes will set the foundation for more success in the future.
"It's been a big change," Olive said. "I've had to adjust a lot of things but we're starting to get into a rhythm. The move taught me a lot of new stuff, it's been great. The challenge has been a big learning curve.
"I've only trained at one location before so I've learned to adjust things more individually to suit each horse's needs. Training somewhere different, I have to train differently and it's forced me to learn me and grow a bit in knowledge and what I'm doing."
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