Melbourne Cup Winner Protectionist Passes Away

by TTR AusNZ

Dual-hemisphere Group 1 winner Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}–Patineuse {Ger}, by Peintre Celebre), who won the 2014 G1 Melbourne Cup for Australian Bloodstock, died recently at 13.

Australian Bloodstock, who raced Protectionist later in his career, said via X, “Sad to hear of the passing of 'our champ' Protectionist. A remarkable horse with such a strong character who meant a lot to so many people. #Lifechanger.”

Bred by Dr. Christoph Berglar, the bay won the G2 Hansa-Preis and G2 Prix Kergorlay for his breeder and trainer Andreas Wohler before being purchased by Australian Bloodstock. He later won the “Race That Stops A Nation” and switched stables to Kris Lees after that victory. Sent back to the Northern Hemisphere in 2016, he won three straight including the G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis and the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin while under the care of Wohler, and retired to Gestut Rottgen with a record of 22-8-3-1 and $3,785,601 in earnings.

From four crops of racing age, the son of Broodmare of the Year Patineuse has sired 43 winners, including Group 2 winner Amazing Grace (Ger) and Group 3 winner Lambo (Ger). He also has two other listed winners to his name, as well as the G3 Silbernes Pferd third Lion's Head (Ger).

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Protectionist’s Amazing Grace Slays T Von Zastrow Stutenpreis Rivals

Dr Christoph Berglar's homebred 4-year-old distaffer Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}–Amabelle {Ger}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who finished 3/4-of-a-length behind G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when second in July's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich in her latest start, is set to dine at the top table again after annexing Saturday's G2 T Von Zastrow Stutenpreis at Baden-Baden. Connections immediately nominated both G1 Preis von Europa and GI E. P. Taylor S. as possible destinations after she defeated stablemate India (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in a hot renewal of the 12-furlong feature. Last term's G2 Diana Trial victrix, who also snagged June's Listed 170 Jahre Hamburger Renn-Club at Hamburg, was steadied to race off a moderate tempo in fifth passing the judge first time. Urged forward off the home turn, the 5-2 second favourite was ridden to go third passing the furlong marker and stayed on strongly to assert superiority by 1 1/2 lengths nearing the line.

“To finish first and second is a dream result,” trainer Waldemar Hickst to GaloppOnline. “I actually had more of a gut feeling for India because she had improved from race to race, but it was a great ride from Olivier Peslier and I'm extremely satisfied. I was concerned about the distance and the [good-to-] soft ground, but she had no problems with it. Amazing Grace could now head to Canada for the [GI] E. P. Taylor S., while India has an entry for a Group race in Paris on Arc Day.” The winning owner's racing manager Ronald Rauscher added, “We hoped Amazing Grace would be competitive, but the pace wasn't excessively high. She won very convincingly and we now have the E. P. Taylor S. in the back of our minds. Another possibility is the [G1] Preis von Europa in Cologne.”

Pedigree Notes

Amazing Grace is one of two black-type and two group winners for her G1 Melbourne Cup-winning sire. Out of a German listed winning-daughter of Danehill Dancer (Ire), Amazing Grace is one of two winners from three to race for her dam. Amabelle has the unraced juvenile full-brother to the winner in Astaire (Ire), a yearling filly by Gleneagles (Ire) and a foal of this year, once again by Protectionist.

Antonym (Bahri), the second dam of Amazing Grace, also struck at listed level in Germany, while she, in turn, is out of the dual French Group 2 winner Annaba (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}). This is the extended family of G3 Park Hill S. heroine Anna Of Saxony (GB) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}), as well as of Accessories (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), the dam of a quartet of group winners led by Group 1 winners and sires Epaulette (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) and Helmet (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

Saturday, Baden-Baden, Germany
T VON ZASTROW STUTENPREIS-G2, €70,000, Baden-Baden, 9-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:36.11, g/s.
1–AMAZING GRACE (GER), 131, f, 4, by Protectionist (Ger)
1st Dam: Amabelle (Ger), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Antonym, by Bahri
3rd Dam: Annaba (Ire), by In The Wings (GB)
O/B-Dr Christoph Berglar (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: MGSP-Fr & GSP-Ity, 14-4-4-4, €196,400. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–India (Ger), 131, f, 4, Adlerflug (Ger)–Ivory Coast (Fr), by Peintre Celebre. O-Gestut Ittlingen; B-Gestut Hof Ittlingen (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst. €15,500.
3–Atomic Blonde (Ger), 123, f, 3, The Grey Gatsby (Ire)–Alwina (Ger), by Areion (Ger). (€75,000 RNA Ylg '19 BBAGO). O/B-Gestut Karlshof (GER); T-Henk Grewe. €8,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3/4, 2. Odds: 2.50, 1.60, 13.30.
Also Ran: Narmada (Ger), Well Disposed (Ire), Nachtrose (Ire). Scratched: Salve Le Meer (Ger). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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