He still remembers his first - a 150-1 longshot - and he was up to his old tricks again when Stephan bolted home to win at $26 at Rosehill on Saturday.

Vella thought it was just his fourth or fifth Saturday winner in the big smoke as Stephan swooped late to beat Americana Magic in a head-bobber.

Trumbull was another 1.5 lengths further back in third.

It was the start of a Canberra running double in the final two races of the day at Rosehill with Matthew Dale's Sausedge cruising home to win the last.

He was two lengths clear of Mapmaker, with Muswellbrook third.

Vella felt it was a tough task for the ACT horses to go to Sydney and win. But that won't stop him from trying.

"You've got to have the right horse now because they're too good here, too good for us. But we come in and have a challenge," he said.

"Over the years [I've had] maybe four or five winners [in Sydney].

"I had my first winner at Randwick, barrier 14 out of 14 in a two-year-old race having his first start. 150-1 and it got up and won."

And star jockey Tommy Berry couldn't be happier to get the win for him, given he counts Vella as family.

Although he was also relieved, admitting he butchered the ride.

Berry followed the eventual runner-up in the early stages of the race, but opted to go wide when the field went for home.

If he'd stayed on the fence with Americana Magic he felt he would've won far more comfortably.

Instead it meant the only time he was ever in front was right at the winning post.

"I don't think Gratz could ever be disappointed with me, he's like family," Berry said.

"He's a Canberra boy and he's been best friends with my wife Sharni's dad for I don't know how many years.

"It means a lot for me to get a winner for him. It's lucky he had the horse in the right order because it was a terrible ride.

"If I followed the second horse I win by a couple so I would've been very angry with myself if I got beat."