A Warrnambool hobby trainer with just two horses in work celebrated his first city winner in oppressive heat at Caulfield on Wednesday.

Chris Ryan, a former sprinter who was third in the 1986 Stawell Gift, was in a buoyant mood after six-year-old Red Fella held up best in temperatures around 40 degrees to win the Salt and Pepper Plate (2430m).

Ryan, who trains his horses on the beach, has been patient with Red fella, who broke down with tendon problems as a three-year-old and had managed just previous eight starts, including two provincial wins, in his three years as a racehorse.

"This is his second campaign and he has improved significantly," said Ryan, a property valuer who has been training for 17 years.

"He is lightly raced and hopefully he can race for several more years."

The gelding's mother Princess Pushy won the Group Two Herbert Power Handicap (2400) at Caulfield in 1991 which backed up Ryan's claim that Red Fella can stay all day.

"He can stay and has got a good a turn of foot," he said,

Winning jockey Glen Boss said Red Fella would take a good level of fitness out of the race due to the trying conditions.

Red Fella ($4.20 fav) contested the finish with Callmedan ($14) and managed to pull away from the duel to win by three-quarters of a length with Ali Vital ($7.50) the same margin away in third.