Geelong Cup 2026 Field and Barriers: Vauban Tops Weights

Melbourne Cup hopefuls Vauban and The Euphrates head a full field for Wednesday’s Geelong Cup, where the winner is guaranteed a place in the final Melbourne Cup field. Point Of Law, bred and raced in the UK by King Charles III, has drawn barrier 18.

The Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) is worth $500,000 and will be run at Geelong on Wednesday 21 October. Racing Victoria upgraded the race last year, along with Saturday’s Moonee Valley Cup, so that its winner makes the final Melbourne Cup field, and Racing.com reported that Monday’s final acceptances produced one of the best Geelong Cup fields ever assembled.

Vauban tops the weights

Vauban, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, carries top weight of 60.5kg from barrier 12 as he chases a third Melbourne Cup start. Stablemate The Euphrates has 58.5kg and jumps from barrier 8, Racenet’s final field shows, after missing a run in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup as one of the emergencies.

Racing.com lists Vauban 16th and The Euphrates 29th in the Melbourne Cup order of entry, with both already likely to make the final field.

The King’s former stayer

Point Of Law looms as one of the most intriguing runners. The imported galloper was bred and raced in the UK by King Charles III before being sold to Australian interests for Ciaron Maher to train, and he sits 31st in the Melbourne Cup order of entry, on the borderline of making the field ahead of next Monday’s third declarations, according to Racing.com. He has 55kg.

The King also had a runner in last year’s Geelong Cup, when Gilded Water was beaten into second by Torranzino and narrowly missed automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup. Torranzino is back for trainer Paul Preusker, drawn barrier 16 with 55.5kg.

The 2024 winner Onesmoothoperator is also in the field for trainer Tim Fitzsimmons, from barrier 7 with 57kg.

Joseph O’Brien’s long shots

Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien, who has nine stayers in Australia as he chases a third Melbourne Cup win, will try to lift the lowly ranked pair of Small Fry (55th in the order of entry) and Omni Man (56th) into the field through the race, Racing.com reported. Small Fry has drawn barrier 13 and Omni Man barrier 15.

Chris Waller saddles three runners: Wootton Verni from barrier 5, Soulcombe from barrier 2 and Valiant King from barrier 3. Racing.com lists all three, along with Torranzino, Litzdeel, Manzor Blue and Jennivamoose, among the Geelong Cup runners that may need to win to make the final Melbourne Cup field.

Geelong Cup 2026 field and barriers

1. Vauban – barrier 12, 60.5kg, trainer Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
2. The Euphrates – barrier 8, 58.5kg, trainer Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
3. Wootton Verni – barrier 5, 58kg, trainer Chris Waller
4. Berkeley Square – barrier 6, 57.5kg, trainer Dan O’Sullivan
5. Onesmoothoperator – barrier 7, 57kg, trainer Tim Fitzsimmons
6. Soulcombe – barrier 2, 56kg, trainer Chris Waller
7. Torranzino – barrier 16, 55.5kg, trainer Paul Preusker
8. Point Of Law – barrier 18, 55kg, trainer Ciaron Maher
9. Valiant King – barrier 3, 55kg, trainer Chris Waller
10. Small Fry – barrier 13, 54.5kg, trainer Joseph O’Brien
11. Litzdeel – barrier 1, 54kg, trainer Danny O’Brien
12. Manzor Blue – barrier 17, 54kg, trainer Lisa Latta
13. Omni Man – barrier 15, 54kg, trainer Joseph O’Brien
14. Jennivamoose – barrier 14, 54kg, trainer Ciaron Maher
15. Hurry Curry – barrier 9, 54kg, trainer Danny O’Brien
16. Asva – barrier 10, 54kg, trainer Glenn Stevenson
17. Vegas Jack – barrier 11, 54kg, trainer Craig Conron
18e. Sapphire Siren (emergency) – barrier 4, 54kg, trainer Bill Papazaharoudakis