RacingBetter News
	Thursday 9th October 2025

Geelong Cup Postponed And A Surprise Race Win

The Geelong Cup, one of Australia’s most important races leading up to the Melbourne Cup, was dramatically postponed after dangerous wind gusts blew through the Geelong Racecourse on 22 October. Stewards were forced to abandon the meeting mid-afternoon. Among the runners affected was Gilded Water, the horse owned by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who had been ready to compete in the prestigious Group 3 event.

Dangerous Winds Force Postponement

The decision to postpone the Geelong Cup came after race officials deemed the conditions unsafe for both the jockeys and the horses. Wind speeds exceeded 60 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching up to 76 kilometres per hour. These winds were strong enough to damage infrastructure and impact the safety of everyone at the event. 

Stewards called a halt to proceedings around 2 pm AEDT, shortly after the third race. During this race, parts of the running rail were blown over, and hospitality marquees had to be evacuated. The fourth to ninth races, including the Geelong Cup, were immediately postponed.

Racing Victoria steward Corey Waller said of the situation, “Talking with the emergency services that are actually based on course, and the weather station in the centre… they’re saying the current wind conditions are around 46-50 kph with gusts of up to 6 kph coming through.”

He added that while the wind could potentially die down later in the afternoon, there was too much uncertainty to continue safely. “There’s a chance, and a pretty high chance, that [strong winds] may continue past that, which wouldn’t give us enough time to run the races in a safe condition.”

By 3 pm, Racing Victoria officials had confirmed that the remainder of the day’s card would be moved to the next day, allowing both the $200,000 Geelong Classic and the $500,000 Group 3 Geelong Cup to proceed. 

Betting Impact

The postponement had a massive impact on betting markets, as punters scrambled to adjust to the rescheduled races. For those following international contenders like Gilded Water, the delay meant uncertainty about how the Royal runner might adapt to the changing conditions. 

British and international bettors took notice of the change, with many turning to platforms accepting UK punters. These sites operate outside of the Gamstop self-exclusion network, allowing for broader access to overseas racing events. Punters following global horses can use these platforms to stay involved in international racing events.

The Geelong Cup’s postponement added another layer of excitement for bettors, since race-day conditions were predicted to shift once the event resumed the next day.

Winner of The Postponed Geelong Cup

When racing resumed on Thursday, the Geelong Cup delivered a surprise winner. Torranzino, trained by Paul Preusker and ridden by Celine Gaudray, caused an upset by storming home to win the rescheduled feature race, taking the win from Gilded Water. The win secured the trainer a coveted Melbourne Cup berth. 

Preusker now has a Melbourne Cup runner in his stable. He praised Gaudray’s compusure and the horse’s determination in the final straight. The result means that King Charles III will not have a runner in this year’s Melbourne Cup, since Gilded Water fell just short of qualifying. 

Several horses also withdrew after the postponement, including Grand Pierro and last year’s champion Onesmoothoperator. Both opted to instead compete in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, which was held later in the week. 

Looking To The Melbourne Cup

Torranzino’s Geelong Cup win automatically qualified him for the Melbourne Cup on 4 November. The horse will join a select group of recent Geelong Cup winners who went on to win Australia’s greatest race, like Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010), and Dunaden (2011).

The Geelong Cup is one of only a couple of “win and you’re in” events for the Melbourne Cup field. Two other races, the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and the W.S. Cox Plate, also provide automatic entries. 

Anticipation is building as Preusker’s team prepares Torranzino for the ultimate race against the world’s best stayer. The Royal camp will have to regroup and look ahead to other feature races for Gilded Water later in the season.

Wrapping Up

After wild winds reshuffled the spring racing calendar, the 2025 Geelong Cup ended with a lot of drama and a worthy winner. Torranzino’s surprising win showed exactly how unpredictable horse racing can be. 

For King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Gilded Water, a strong second-place finish may not have provided a ticket to the Melbourne Cup, but it showed the horse’s potential in Australia’s elite staying tanks.