It takes a tough horse to make their mark in Paul Preusker’s Horsham stable.
As laconic and seemingly carefree as the trainer is, his training regime isn’t for the soft or feint hearted.
Fancy European-breds are few and far between on the heavy sand bush tracks, and Preusker prescribes to the old school theory that miles in the legs of a seasoned, homegrown stayer can win you a Cup.
Surprise Baby copped the work. He won an Adelaide Cup and ran in two Melbourne Cups, going down by a length without the best of luck in 2019.
Preusker’s latest protégé is in the same mold.
His name is Torranzino and on Tuesday, the Kiwi-bred stayer will chase his own piece of Cup glory when he lines up for Preusker and a bunch of bush battlers in Australia’s greatest race.
The near misses might still hurt deep down but the hardened trainer prefers to say that he learned something from his Cup defeats.
“For sure there’s a bit of unfinished business,” Preusker said.
“In one way, it’s (Melbourne Cup) the worst race you can be in because once you’ve had a runner, you’re always looking for the next one.”
“I learned plenty out the first one and a heap out of the second one and I’m confident this time.”
“I think I’ve got the right horse this year and I’ll be able to work him right up to the day.”
“He’s certainly fit.”
“We’ll be cheering for the rain because he’s a lot better horse on the softer going.”
A son of Derby winner Tarzino that Preusker bought for $75,000 at Karaka in 2021, Torranzino has been a slow burn since his low-key debut in a Casterton maiden in October 2022.
He won his first race at Warracknabeal over 2000m the following June and was campaigned almost exclusively over middle distances for 12 months while Preusker built the foundations for his eventual emergence as a stayer.
At times, the gelding’s pig-headedness held him back but Preusker was never in a rush.
His last-to-first win in the Country Cup Final at Caulfield last spring was evidence that the trainer was winning the war, while a narrow defeat in the Warrnambool Cup in May this year hinted that his best was potentially yet to come and could be over an extended trip.
His spring campaign, which has so far taken in five races and more than 12500m, has been geared towards the Melbourne Cup and the six-year-old booked his place with victory in the G3 Geelong Cup last start.
“He’s just been a really immature horse and we always knew he would take time,” he said.
“He’s a bit tough-headed and he’s not real easy to train so sometimes I’ve had to go backwards to go forwards.”
“I thought I had him ready for it (staying trip) and I stretched him out to 2400m but nup, he wasn’t ready so we went back to the drawing board.”
“He just needed a bit more time and a bit more racing.”
“The owners have trusted me and it’s taken a bit longer than what we would’ve liked but he’s paying them back now.”
“He came back from the Geelong Cup and he was working again over 2800m on the following Monday.”
“He takes the work extremely well.”
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/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/JnycmHwPCX— Racing.com (@Racing) October 23, 2025
Torranzino’s rise has coincided with his association with emerging star Celine Gaudray, whose seven rides on the horse have yielded the Geelong Cup win, Easter Cup win and Country Cup Final win, as well as placings in the Warrnambool Cup and the Bart Cummings.
Preusker said he and his connections never considered replacing the 24-year-old with a more experienced rider in Tuesday’s race.
“She’s just worked with him,” he said.
“You’ve got to work with him and nurture him a bit, there’s no beating him and that’s why I can sometimes lock horns with him.”
“But Celine has done a good job of managing that and getting the best out of him.”
“She’s a pretty unique horsewoman and there aren’t many horses that don’t go good for her.”
Torranzino is rated $34 in Bet365’s Melbourne Cup market.
