Melbourne Cup: Protectionist romps to easy victory

Ryan Moore rides Protectionist to victory in the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Getty

Not only could the victory be celebrated, with Moore cementing his position as the world’s top jockey in yet another continent, but Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux managed another heroic effort at Flemington to fill the runner-up spot for the third time in four years.

Moore rode with typical tactical astuteness, holding Protectionist some way behind a strong pace set by the Roger Varian-trained My Ambivalent, and was aboard a lightly-raced and weighted colt with such evident superiority over his rivals that he blitzed four lengths clear.

With two furlongs to go, it appeared the unthinkable might happen as the eight-year-old Red Cadeaux hit the front and pressed on for Gerald Mosse, while Moore was still wriggling through rivals.

Just over a furlong later, though, Protectionist was past him and flying to glory in Australia’s national sporting event, while Red Cadeaux fought on laudably to prevent Who Shot Thebarman from taking second.

“It’s a massive day for me but I had a really good horse to do the work for me,” said Moore.

“We wanted to be a bit further forward, but the pace was strong the whole way.

“He just took the gaps and they came.”

Protectionist is very inexperienced compared with a traditional Cup winner - this was just his 10th start - but Andreas Wohler had tuned him up with an eyecatching trial in the Herbert Power Stakes.

“He hadn’t had a lot of practice, there was a big field and they go quick early on, it’s quite intense,” said Moore.

“With a mile to go, it was matter of picking my way though and having to find a path, he got there quite easily.”

Moore had landed the Cox Plate just over a week ago, before travelling to America and back for the Breeders’ Cup, and has countless other global titles to his name.

“I’d say it feels similar,” he said.

“The Cox Plate is more from a purist’s point of view, they are the best horses in a weight-for-age, maybe like the King George or the Arc.

“This is the greatest race, like the Grand National back home, as the whole country gets taken up by it.

“I wouldn’t view any of those races differently, they are all special on the day.

“Good days are hard to come by, but there are plenty of bad ones.

“You don’t get too excited, you wait for the next disappointment.”

Wohler had been planning this for Protectionist ever since he claimed a Group Two in Germany back at the end of June, but now the four-year-old’s part-owners Australian Bloodstock are likely to send him to domestic trainer Kris Lees with a view to the major Sydney races during March and April.

That, incredibly, could be the next port of call for Red Cadeaux, with Dunlop left both thrilled and a bit frustrated.

“We can’t win it!” he said.

“I think we kicked on plenty soon enough for us, the winner was very good on the day and yet again we’ve been second, but what a horse.

“He’s probably going to break another record now as the greatest bridesmaid ever, but we’re always susceptible to these younger horses.

“All credit to a magnificent winner, but we’re very proud - we’ll have to come back again!

“We’ll wait and see how he is, he’s old and it takes a lot out of him.

“He’s an amazing horse, simply amazing. We normally go to Hong Kong but I would like to come back to Sydney.

“It might be bonkers, but I would like to go home and then come back again.”

Saeed bin Suroor was pleased with Willing Foe’s fifth-placed finish, with John Gosden of the opinion Gatewood (12th) did not stay.

Seismos was scuppered by a poor draw in ninth, while My Ambivalent and the Johnny Murtagh pair of Royal Diamond and Mutual Regard were all well beaten.

There was also a sad postscript to the event as the Japanese-trained favourite and Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti weakened to finish last and was a fatality.

Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said: “Admire Rakti, on return to the tie-up stalls after the race, has collapsed and died unfortunately.

“Our vets are on hand and the horse will undergo an autopsy.”

The locally-trained Araldo (seventh) reportedly fractured a cannon bone after kicking a fence after the race and was taken to an equine hospital for treatment.