Country trainer Andrew Murray was moved to tears when Sunday Escape raced to victory at Caulfield on Saturday.

The win gave the Sale trainer his first city success with a horse which only scraped into the field on race morning after being fourth emergency in a capacity field.

Murray, who only has a handful of horses in work, was choked up with emotion after Sunday Escape won the owner.racing.com Handicap (1100m).

"It means heaps to us," Murray, 35, said.

"It's awesome. I just train for my family and we just have between three and seven horses in work all the time.

"It's my first city winner. We've placed a few times and run into some good horses with him and possibly could have won one before this, I guess."

Sunday Escape was runner-up twice at Sandown last year and had not been out of the placings in four recent runs at Sale.

Dwayne Dunn was able to hold a prominent spot from the inside gate before taking over mid-race.

Sunday Escape ($9) held his rivals off to win by three-quarters of a length.