Trainer Paul Preusker will get another tilt at a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) after Torranzino ran out a strong winner of the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on Thursday.
Connections of the son of Tarzino roared as their charge raced past hot-favourite Gilded Water, which is raced by His Majesty The King.
Perfectly ridden by Celine Gaudray, Torranzino applied pressure to Gilded Water rounding the home turn and went on to score by half a length to claim the golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week.
Preusker saddled Surprise Baby to finish a luckless fifth in the 2019 Melbourne Cup won by Vow And Declare and admits he was too cute with the son of Shocking when attempting to snare the 2020 Melbourne Cup off a two-start campaign.
“I’m super excited to get another go, that is what it is all about,” he said. “Celine’s has got that job done for me.
“He has been an unbelievable horse all the way through. He has wanted to do things his way, I have hurdle schooled him, steeple schooled him, we have locked horns plenty of times, but eventually he won and he is a happy horse now.
“Everyone knows if you can get a chance, you're a chance and you learn every time you get into the Cup. I am grateful for the opportunity to go again.
“He is pretty much there now, I will just have to keep the weight of him. He is a horse that does well. We will just keep him ticking over he will do plenty in between, but we won’t ask him for anything more. He's pretty fit.”
For Celine Gaudray, just having a ride in the Melbourne Cup is a dream in itself.
“It is so surreal, ever since I was a little girl, I have always watched the Melbourne Cup, to get a ride is unbelievable, and this horse really deserves his spot,” she said.
“The whole race I was actually giggling to myself, he was travelling really well, I thought around the 600m I would let him pop out and come into it. I had so much horse underneath me, and he just took me through the line.
“I was happy (about the slow pace) as last time they were so strung out and he wasn’t travelling that well. Whereas today, he was able to get a softer run in behind them, and I knew if I pulled out early enough, he would be able to run over the top.”
By Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino, Torranzino was bred by Payne Family Racing Pty Ltd. He is the first foal to race out of the Helmet mare Goldilicious, who is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Showbeel, who in turn is out of Champion Stayer Showella.
Torranzino was offered by Janine Dunlop’s Phoenix Park as a yearling in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where Preusker bought him for $75,000 through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone after the horse was initially passed in.
OTI Racing have recently purchased his half-brother Kandinsky, who has joined the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable after impressing at the trials for Tony Pike.
Kaha Nui Farm purchased his half-brother by Sword Of State at June’s New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sales and will present him at January’s NZB National Yearling Sales. – NZ Racing Desk
