Protectionist Dazzles in Dramatic Melbourne Cup

by Emma Berry 
Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) posted one of the most impressive performances in modern Melbourne Cup history to claim Australia's most famous race by four lengths–the widest winning margin since Rain Lover's record eight-length triumph in 1968. 

Shunted towards the back of the 22-runner field after early interference, the Andreas Wohler-trained colt was forced through a gap by jockey Ryan Moore after straightening for home and found an extra gear in the final furlong as he burst clear of Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who battled on to take second place for the third time in four Melbourne Cup appearances for trainer Ed Dunlop. The Chris Waller representative Who Shot Thebarman (NZ)(Yamanin Vital {NZ}) was another half-length back in third, with Saturday's G3 Lexus S. winner Signoff (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) running on determinedly to grab fourth for Darren Weir.

 The race was marred by the death of the favourite, Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {JPN}), who finished tailed off and later collapsed when being attended to by vets in the stalls immediately post-race. There was further tragedy in the aftermath of the Melbourne Cup when seventh-placed Araldo (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) was startled on his way back to the stables and lashed out, striking a fence and sustaining a fractured pastern. The Mike Moroney-trained entire was taken to Werribee Veterinary Clinic where he was euthanised when the severity of his injury was revealed. 

Trained in Germany, Protectionist was making just his tenth appearance on a racecourse following minor setbacks in both his juvenile and 3-year-old seasons–the latter being a freak injury sustained when a deer ran into him during a routine canter at home when he was favourite for the Deutsches Derby. Forced to miss the rest of that season, the 4-year-old, who is classed as five in Australia, where he will continue his racing career, has made up for lost time this year by recording Group 2 victories in both Germany and France before shipping to Australia. His eye-catching fourth-place finish in the G2 Herbert Power S. Oct. 11 saw him garner increasing support for the Melbourne Cup, for which he was sent off as 7/1 co-third-favourite. 

“There's a lot of upside to this horse. Going into it there looked like there was only one other who was improving. Who knows how far he could go,” said winning jockey Moore, who ten days earlier had won another of Australia's most prestigious contests, the G1 Cox Plate, aboard Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for Aidan O'Brien. 

He added: “They went fast and I just had to be patient and not panic. Once they started weakening and the gaps started opening up my horse had plenty of petrol left. He won decisively. 

“He jumped well but the horse on my inside missed the kick and he was intent on going forward so we had to go back. It was just a question of doing everything as comfortably as we could and when they go that quick the gaps tend to open up.” 

Asked how it felt to have won the two major contests of the Melbourne Spring Carnival, the jockey replied with typical modesty: “I just got back from the Breeders' Cup and that didn't go to plan. Horseracing is a great leveller. Some days it works out for you and some days it doesn't.” 

For Wohler, whose previous trips to Australia had been limited to two Cox Plate runners, Protectionist's victory was bittersweet to a certain degree as the horse will now remain in in the country having been bought by Australian Bloodstock earlier in the year. He will be trained by Kris Lees, who saddled Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel {NZ}) to finish 13th in the Cup. 

“He showed me he was a good horse even when he was a 2-year-old but he had a few little problems,” said Wohler. “Each time he came back stronger and he really is exceptional. He's still improving. 

“It was part of the deal when he was sold that he would be trained in Australia after this race. We will just have to find another good one.” 

Wohler previously trained G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Novellist (Ger)–another son of Monsun, who was also responsible for last year's Melbourne Cup winner, Fiorente (Ire)–for Protectionist's breeder and former owner, Dr. Christoph Berglar, who was in attendance at Flemington as Novellist's dam Night Lagoon (Ger) (Lagunas {GB}) was sold in foal to War Front at the Faig-Tipton November Sale for $1.7 million. 

A Race Like No Other 
When asked what's so special about the Melbourne Cup, 12-time winning trainer Bart Cummings once quipped, “The prize money.” 

Worth AUD$6.2 million, the Emirates Melbourne Cup certainly has enough financial clout to ensure that an increasing number of overseas contenders make the expensive trip to the southern hemisphere in the hope of snaring a lucrative haul. But, undeniably, it's not just about the money. 

To be in Australia during 'Cup week' is to be part of an extraordinary event which transcends mere sporting interest and becomes something close to national fever. Stop in the city centre for a coffee on Cup eve and the barista will enquire if you're off to the races tomorrow. In Melbourne, that means only one place–Flemington–but another 43 race meetings take place around Australia on Cup day, with each of them pausing as the action from Australia's iconic staying race unfolds on the big screen. 

“It's marvellous to come down here, everyone is so enthusiastic about racing. You pick up the paper and there's 12 pages of coverage and it's on five different channels–we don't have that at home,” said an unusually loquacious Ryan Moore in the aftermath of his Melbourne Cup triumph. 

The nation may be brought to a halt on Melbourne Cup day but on Cup eve, Melbourne's city centre is at a standstill with the traditional parade from Bourke Street to Federation Square. 

Marketeers in all racing nations routinely scratch their heads while trying to dream up new ways to introduce a new audience to the sport and it's hard to think of a more positive public relations exercise than the Melbourne Cup parade, which has been taking place for the last 30 years. 

Standing five deep behind the barriers lining the streets, racing fans come from far and wide to gain a glimpse of connections of the Melbourne Cup runners, with the jockey and trainer of each horse traveling the route in open-top cars. They are preceded by a parade of former winners of the race–this year's parade included the 1997 winner Might And Power (NZ), who, at the age of 21 looked ready to take off down Swanston Street as he towed his leader along in front of the crowds with the more sedate Brew (NZ), Doriemus (NZ), Paris Lane (Aus), Rogan Josh (Aus) and Efficient (NZ) completing the line-up. 

Next came last year's winning trainer and Australia's 'first lady' of racing, Gai Waterhouse, beaming from a horse-drawn carriage as a colourful carnival of school children, dancers, stilt-walkers and trick cyclists followed in her wake. 
The procession ends in Federation Square where a sprawling and public open-air press conference is conducted and every available trainer and jockey is grilled as to their chances in the Cup before signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans. Jockeys Glyn and Chad Schofield, the first father-and-son team to compete against each other in the Cup since George and Gary Moore both got the leg-up in 1968, never stopped smiling as they coasted from one photocall to another as a different Moore made his way back to Australia from the Breeders' Cup to add yet another big-race success to his increasingly international CV. 

Darren Weir's Signoff shot into the reckoning for the Melbourne Cup with his impressive Lexus S. win on Saturday, but Victoria's leading trainer wasn't allowing himself to get too caught up in the hype. Asked who he thought was the most likely winner of the race, he replied, “I'm sitting next to him,” and turned to Andreas Wohler on his left. 
A little over 24 hours later, Weir was proved right and Wohler summed up his first triumphant experience of the Melbourne Cup by proclaiming: “It's so overwhelming here, it's the biggest of all. It's a moment I won't ever forget in my life.” 

A Special Place in Cup History 
Just as Makybe Diva (GB) has earned a place in racing history as a three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, the great warrior Red Cadeaux will go down as one of the unluckiest–but also one of the bravest–contenders of all time with three runner-up finishes from four consecutive starts in the Cup. 

A mere pixel separated Ronald Arculli's gallant veteran from Dunaden (Fr) in 2011, while last year he was three-quarters of a length behind Fiorente (Ire). This time around the margin has increased again, to four lengths. Mere statistics tell only half the story though. 

As the field turned for home in the 2014 Melbourne Cup and the giant chestnut galvanised his steeplechaser's rangey frame into top gear and hit the front, those of us who've followed him all these years perhaps let ourselves believe, if only for a fleeting second, that this could be his year. Logic told us that he would most likely have to give best to fresher, younger legs, but sentimentality overrules logic when it comes to a horse so beloved. 

Red Cadeaux may have had no answer for Protectionist's late surge but the gritty determination which has earned his connections around £4.5 million (approximately $7.25 million) in prize money, largely from his seven wins and five Group 1 second places, carried him to the line once more as he held off all others. 

His trainer Ed Dunlop hasn't ruled out a fifth challenge on the Cup, saying after the race: “If he's still up to it, I'd like to come again because it's the greatest race in the world. 
“If he's not okay after today, we'll retire him, simple 
as that. It's up to the horse. Nothing else matters.” 
The cheer for old Red as he returned to scale was as hearty as the response for the winner himself and undoubtedly the Flemington faithful would welcome him back with open arms next year. Not all non-winners are losers. Red Cadeaux has gained a special place in the history of the Cup, along with a special place in the hearts of many racing fans, including this one.
 
Tuesday, Flemington, Australia 
EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP-G1, A$6,000,000, FLE, 11-4, 3yo/up, 16fT, 3:17.71, gd. 
1–PROTECTIONIST (GER), 125, h, 5, by Monsun (Ger)
     1st Dam: Patineuse (Ire), by Peintre Celebre
     2nd Dam: Parisienne (Ire), by Distant Relative (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Poughkeepsie (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
O-Narola Stables & Australian Bloodstock (Mgr: L 
Murrell), Power Thoroughbreds (Mgr: W Power), 
Doyles Breeding & Racing (Mgr: F Doyle), R Power, J 
Hunter, A Kheir & Australian Bloodstock No.2 (Mgr: J 
Lovett); B-Dr Christoph Berglar (Ger); T-Andreas 
Wohler; J-Ryan Moore. A$3,600,000. Lifetime 
Record: GSW-Ger & GSW-Fr,10-5-3-1, A$3,858,660. 
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the 
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Red Cadeaux (GB), 126, g, 9, Cadeaux Genereux 
(GB)–Artisia (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. O-The Hon 
Ronald J Arculli; B-Foursome Thoroughbreds (GB); 
T-Ed Dunlop. 40,000gns RNA wlng '06 TATDEC; 
55,000gns yrl '07 TATOCT 
3–Who Shot Thebarman (NZ), 121, g, 6, Yamanin Vital 
(NZ)–Ears Carol (NZ), by Carolingian (Aus). O-D M 
O'Leary, H T O'Leary, M J O'Leary, S C O'Leary & 
Mrs J C Nugent-O'Leary; B-B J & Mrs L E Anderton 
(NZ); T-Chris Waller. A$450,000. 
Margins: 4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 7.00, 20.00, 20.00. 
Also Ran: Signoff (Ire), Willing Foe, Precedence (NZ), Araldo (GB), Au Revoir (Ire), Seismos (Ire), Fawkner (Aus), Opinion (Ire), Gatewood (GB), Lucia Valentina (NZ), Mutual Regard (Ire), Brambles (NZ), Unchain My Heart (Aus), My Ambivalent (Ire), Junoob (GB), Lidari (Fr), Royal Diamond (Ire), Mr O'Ceirin (NZ), Admire Rakti (Jpn). Scratched: Cavalryman (GB), Sea Moon (GB). Click for the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.