Bush galloper Torranzino snatched a Melbourne Cup berth from King Charles III’s horse Gilded Water in Thursday’s Group 3 Geelong Cup.
Gilded Water started as the $1.80 favourite to claim the Geelong Cup, which offered a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption for the first time.
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The Ciaron Maher-trained Gilded Water overraced before fading in his first crack at securing a Melbourne Cup start via the Group 3 Bart Cummings, a race in which Torranzino finished a shock second at $71.
Torranzino finished a long neck ahead of Gilder Water in the Bart Cummings before a half-length separated the pair in the Geelong Cup.
The result left Torranzino as one of six Melbourne Cup golden ticket holders while Gilded Water will need some luck to make the field from his new position at 39th in line for one of 24 spots in the great race.
Geelong Cup | Torranzino
He’s Cup-bound! 🏆 The 6YO gelding digs deep to stave off the favourite & book his Melbourne Cup ticket under the urgings of Celine Gaudray for Paul Preusker 🎟️
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0pic.twitter.com/JnycmHwPCX
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 23, 2025
Bookmakers promoted Torranzino to $26 in Melbourne Cup betting while Gilded Water is now a $51 chance along with unplaced Geelong Cup runners Changingoftheguard and Whisky On The Hill.
Horsham trainer Paul Preusker drove Torranzino to and from Geelong without running at Wednesday’s postponed meeting before making the 284km trek again for the rescheduled race a day later.
The time in the float made no difference to Torranzino, who posted his sixth career win in the Geelong Cup with jockey Celine Gaudray in the saddle.
Gaudray was thrilled to secure a Melbourne Cup ride on the son of Tarzino.
“It is so surreal,” Gaudray said.
“Ever since I was a little girl I watched the Melbourne Cup – as does everybody else – and to get a ride is unbelievable and this horse really deserves his spot.”
Celine Gaudray (left) and Paul Preusker (right) after Torranzino won the Geelong Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images
Preusker went within a length of winning the 2019 Melbourne Cup with the unlucky Surprise Baby, who also the unplaced favourite in the 2020 Cup.
He joked Torranzino won a battle of wills of his preferred training routine, which has led the six-year-old to give the trainer another chance to win the Melbourne Cup.
“Super excited to get another go (at the Melbourne Cup). That’s what it is all about for me – getting a go,” Preusker said.
“He’s been an unbelievable horse all the way through. He’s wanted to do things his way.
“I’ve hurdle-schooled him, steeple-schooled him, we’ve locked horns a few times but eventually he won and he’s a happy horse now.”
Friday night’s Moonee Valley Gold Cup will be the next race to offer a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption to the winner.