Trained by Annabel Neesham, Verne won by a nose in a deceptive finish.

Loy has only had a handful of rides in the city in recent times and was thrilled to make the most of his opportunity.

"I can't really remember my last city winner, it's been that long," Loy said.

"I know it's my first since I came back from a lengthy suspension in August almost two years ago.

"I thought I had gotten beat when we crossed the line and it was a pleasant surprise when we got the verdict.

"It was a big thrill to finally get the monkey off the back.

"Hopefully it opens a few more doors for me and I can pick up a few more rides in the city on a regular basis.

"Annabel has shown a fair bit of faith in me and it was good to repay that and hopefully I can start to get on a bit of a roll."