After being denied in a photo finish to the opening race at Caulfield, premiership leader Damien Oliver has opened up a two-win break over Craig Williams with a victory on Volcanic Ash.

Oliver had to settle for second on Corsica Lad, who went down by a short head in the first event, but he got on the board two races later when Volcanic Ash ($2) scored a comfortable win in the Greg Williams Handicap (1400m).

The victory took Oliver two wins clear of Williams in the battle for the Melbourne jockeys' premiership, ahead of the final metropolitan meeting of the season at Geelong on Sunday.

The Mick Price-trained Volcanic Ash enjoyed a lovely run trailing the speed before Oliver set sail after the leader Benny Dee in the straight.

The three-year-old finished well to defeat Volontiers by three quarters of a length with Benny Dee another length away.

Volcanic Ash has won four of his seven starts and Price will consider sending him for a break after his end-of-season win.

"He's no star but he's a real tradesman and he's been placed well by Mick at this time of year," Oliver said.

Oliver is chasing a 10th Melbourne jockeys' premiership.

"You just go about your business and see what happens at the end of the day," Oliver said after Volcanic Ash's win.

"You don't sort of worry too much about what's at the end of the rainbow, you just see how it goes."