Emerging stayer Zakouma has booked a ticket into the Melbourne Cup with Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) victory at Flemington.

Zakouma, trained by Grahame Begg, defied the set weight scale on Saturday and in doing so, slid under the guard of the Melbourne Cup handicapper.

Zakouma is slated to attract the minimum 51kg for the Melbourne Cup, under the rating based handicapping template.

The lightly-raced gelding, a five-time winner from only 14 starts, won the Andrew Ramsden off a 78 rating mark.

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Zakouma, in line for a healthy rating bump for the win, failed to gain a start in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) last month due to the low benchmark.

“That will get his rating up now I guess,” Begg said.

“Full credit to the horse, he beat the weight scale today with his rating.

“This horse is a true staying horse … we’ll tailor (spring campaign) around getting him here, fit and well, on the first Tuesday in November.”

Under the set weight Andrew Ramsden conditions, the majority of the field, including unplaced Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Changingoftheguard, carried 58.5kg.

Changingoftheguard pulled up lame in the near hind leg.

Zakouma surged under jockey Jordan Childs to overhaul gallant veteran Pounding to win the Andrew Ramsden as Sir Chartwell and Suffolk Star rounded out the first four.

Begg praised Childs’s execution of the race plan.

“They were going to try and make it a true staying test,” Begg said.

“I told him be patient … sit, wait, they’ll come back to you at some stage.

“Even at the 200m I thought he’s still got a bit to do but he’s an extraordinary horse … aerobic capacity is amazing.”

Zakouma secured a second Andrew Ramsden for Begg in three years after Lunar Flare won the Cup qualifier in 2023.

Lunar Flare unfortunately missed out on the main event, withdrawn on Cup eve by stewards acting on veterinary advice.

Childs enjoyed the result and performance.

“I probably had a question mark whether he’d get the 2800m coming here today, he proved me wrong and he got the job done,” Childs said.

“We just wanted to ride him nice and quiet to get the 2800m … I let him begin where he wanted to begin, we floated back and got into a lovely rhythm.

“Once I presented him (in the straight) he took a little to wind up but once he did he got stronger and stronger to the line, distance is no problem.

“He’s ticked that off and he’s got an entry into the Melbourne Cup now, so win-win.”

Zakouma shortened $51 into $26 in Melbourne Cup pre-nominations markets headlined by reigning champion Half Yours ($9) and superstar Sir Delius ($9).

Originally published as Zakouma wins Andrew Ramsden Stakes to book 2026 Melbourne Cup ticket – and beats handicapper in the process