German horse Protectionist has claimed top honours at the 154th Melbourne Cup, however the post-race death of favourite Admire Rakti marred Tuesday’s spectacle.
English jockey Ryan Moore guided the Andreas Wohler trained Protectionist to a four-length victory ahead of Red Cadeaux, a third-time runner-up.
Protectionist fought back a number of challengers in just the horse’s 10th race start, including a loss of the lead to Red Cadeaux with 300 meters remaining.
“The pace was suicidal off the front. He stayed. And he has a nice turn of foot once he throws down the power,” Wohler said.
“We’ve had great success all over the world but that’s the biggest of all. When he came round the last bend, I tell he just needs to have the right gap and he found it and he quickened so well. Ryan is a superstar. It’s a big achievement from our team.”
Caufield Cup winner Admire Rakti went one-two with Protectionist for a large chunk of the race, but suffered a sharp fall off the pace after the final bend to finish 25 lengths behind the second-last horse. The seven-year-old collapsed and died after returning from the track.
“Our vets are obviously on hand and the horse will undergo an autopsy and obviously we will have to await those results to find out the cause of the death,” the chairman of stewards, Terry Bailey, told the Seven Network broadcast.
“Straightaway, on its performance, normal procedure here is especially for the favourite to be vetted anyway, so we were certainly on to it and unfortunately just the process going back to the stalls to get hosed down and go to the swab box, the horse passed away.”
Admire Rakti is the second horse to die in as many years. Varema was put down at last year’s Melbourne Cup after the French mare broke a cannon bone during the race.
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
