Celine Gaudray’s childhood dream was to ride in the Melbourne Cup. Now she’s earned her chance

Up-and-coming jockey Celine Gaudray earned her first start in the Melbourne Cup after riding the Paul Preusker-trained Torranzino to victory in the rescheduled Geelong Cup on Thursday.

Torranzino’s win gave the six-year-old gelding automatic entry into the Cup and could end race favourite Gilded Water’s spring campaign after he ran second.

It will be the second horse Preusker has saddled up for the Cup after he trained Surprise Baby into fifth place in 2019 in that horse’s 11th start.

Gaudray admitted she was confident as Torranzino loomed up to tackle the front-running King Charles-owned Gilded Water, who was held under a tighter rein during the run after getting away from his jockey at his previous run.

“The whole race I was actually giggling to myself – he was travelling really well,” Gaudray told Racing.com. “It’s so surreal. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always obviously watched the Melbourne [Cup], as everybody does... to get a ride it’s unbelievable.”

Torranzino finished runner-up behind Valiant King in the Bart Cummings a fortnight ago at Flemington, where the Cup is run. Valiant King showed that form was strong by finishing third in the Caulfield Cup.

Preusker told Racing.com he was confident the horse would run top two when he rolled up to the races on Wednesday, but he was less so after the race – which was reduced from 10 runners to just eight – was postponed a day due to the wild weather.

“I’m super excited to get another go. That’s what it is all about for me, getting another go,” Preusker said. “He’s quite an unbelievable horse all the way through – he’s wanted to do things his way.”

Preusker, who trains at Horsham, rebuilt his training career after being suspended for four years in 2011 when found guilty of possessing a jigger. He has said he learned from the error and changed his ways, and is now known as an excellent trainer of stayers. He said he did not take the opportunity to have a runner in the Cup for granted.

“Everyone knows if you get a chance, you’re a chance. You learn every time you get into it,” Preusker said.

Gilded Water raced in a flat fashion and did not kick on in the straight. The run could see him sent for spell.

Globe taken out of the Cox Plate

The speed map for this year’s Cox Plate has been thrown on its head with the scratching of renowned front-runner Globe on vets’ advice.

It is the second horse to be pulled out of the country’s premier weight-for-age event in the past week, following the withdrawal of favourite Sir Delius last Friday.

The Cox Plate field has been reduced to eight runners.

Globe, co-trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr, was seen as the obvious leader in this year’s Cox Plate and the key to turning the 2040-metre group 1 invent into a true endurance contest.

Racing Victoria stewards released a statement on Thursday morning to say the seven-year-old gelding, and last-start winner of the Might And Power Stakes, was “found to be lame” in its right front leg.

The stewards then scratched the horse on vets advice.

Price and Kent jnr accepted the decision and have sent the horse for a spell.

Speaking on SEN, Price backed the decision of RV’s vets.

“I know RV vets have called it, but there was absolutely no disagreement from myself,” Price said.

“That horse was not 100 per cent. Whilst it is disappointing for the owners ... the other side of that, you could multiply that disappointment by about 50 if you were to run that horse, see him go no good in the Cox Plate and exasperate a small injury.

“It’s the correct decision. I was glad the decision was made. Absolutely the horse should not run.”

Trainer Chris Waller said on Tuesday morning that he was worried that a slowly run Cox Plate could prove the undoing of defending champion Via Sistina.

“But we’ll ride our own race on Saturday. She’s at her grand final. She needs to make her own luck, make her own sectionals times,” he said.

Leading Saturday’s Cox Plate field around the first bend and towards the back straight might fall to Light Infantry Man or three-year-old Nepotism.

Sir Delius was ruled out of the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup by Racing Victoria stewards, acting on on vets’ advice, after CT scans, and a follow-up PET scan, revealed issues with the horse’s legs.

An independent panel of three vets found that Sir Delius was at “heightened risk of injury” if it continued to race this spring.

Co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott initially toyed with the idea of sending the horse to Sydney to run but ultimately decided to send the five-year-old stallion for a spell.

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