Melbourne Cup horse Torranzino to target 2026 Tancred Stakes

Melbourne Cup placegetter Torranzino has resumed work with trainer Paul Preusker, who is considering a Tancred Stakes campaign for the rising stayer. The gelding returned to the stable on Monday following a freshen-up after finishing fifth in the $10 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Preusker initially thought he might give Torranzino a quiet autumn with no racing, instead focusing fully on spring, but the gelding has bounced out of his break in such good order that a Sydney mission is now favoured.

“He’ll start work Monday and then we’ll just sort of plot away,” Preusker said at the weekend.

“I was happy to just put a prep together and go nowhere and spell again, but he hasn’t lost much.

“He’s in a good paddock with a couple of mates, so I think he’ll come up alright, and I suppose it’s now just a matter of whether we poke away in Sydney for a little bit.”

Preusker does not intend to stretch Torranzino back to two miles for the Sydney Cup, instead eyeing a more suitable weight-for-age assignment.

“I’ll probably leave that alone and maybe a Tancred or something like that, just a light staying race, and we’ll see what we can do.”

The Tancred Stakes (2400m) will be held at Rosehill on March 28.

Now six, Torranzino stamped himself as a genuine Group-class stayer last preparation through his Geelong Cup triumph, his placing in The Bart Cummings (2500m), and his outstanding Melbourne Cup effort.

He owns six wins and nine placings from 34 runs — achievements not lost on his enthusiastic owners.

“They’re all up and about, they’re a great mob of owners – most local people, although there’s a few scattered around – but they were just appreciative to get there and whatever happens is a bonus now.”