A spring carnival of firsts for fledgling trainer Archie Alexander has been capped off with imported stayer Renew winning the Listed Sandown Cup.

The 28-year-old Englishman is in his first season of training at Ballarat after honing his craft working for some of the biggest stables around the world.

He said it was an unbelievable feeling to achieve a stakes success so soon into his career and was grateful for the chance to train Renew, a horse which has raised his profile in the space of a month.

The former Marco Botti-trained Renew was given to Alexander to train by the OTI Racing team earlier this spring, but the plan has been for the horse to join Sydney's premier trainer Chris Waller after this campaign.

Renew has since provided Alexander with his first Group One runner in the Caulfield Cup, his first Melbourne Cup day runner when second in a support race, and now his first city and Listed win at Sandown.

"It's amazing. A complete dream," Alexander said after Renew's brave half-neck victory in Saturday's 3200-metre race.

"I've spent 12 years learning from the best and learning the way to do it. It's good after 12 years to finally be repaid and see plenty of rewards."

He said he would hate to lose Renew but said he owed a lot to the horse and the owners.

"He's done the world of good for me," Alexander said.

Renew ($3) narrowly defeated last year's runner-up Like A Carousel ($4.80) with 1-3/4 lengths to Shoreham ($6) third.

Massiyn was a late scratching after suffering a colic attack on arrival on course.