Hunter-owned Melbourne Cup champion Protectionist will trial at Broadmeadow Racecourse on Monday before launching into an autumn campaign featuring the $1 million group 1 Australian Cup.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The five-year-old stallion was the star nomination of the 69 horses aiming for the 2000-metre race at Flemington on March 14, which also includes three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.
Protectionist recently resumed work with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.
Aberglasslyn-based part-owner Luke Murrell said the road to another top-line victory for the German stayer would start in the Hunter next week.
“He will only have the one trial and it will be at Newcastle next Monday,” Murrell said.
“It will be the last trial of the day and it will be good to see him back, but hopefully he will stay out of trouble.
“It’s only four weeks to go until we get to see him race again, which is very exciting.”
Murrell and Belmont’s Jamie Lovett run the Australian Bloodstock syndicate which brought Protectionist to Australia last year.
But in a deal brokered before the now famous victory on the first Tuesday in November their initial 50 per cent stake of Protectionist went to full ownership post race regardless of the result.
Following a three-month spell in the Hunter Valley, also part of the contract, Protectionist will return to the track proper in Newcastle on February 2 before heading to Melbourne and then back to Sydney.
Murrell said the $200,000 group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 28 would kick-start proceedings followed by the Australian Cup a fortnight later.
If successful Protectionist would join Fiorente (2013-2014), Makybe Diva (2004-2005) and Let’s Elope (1991-1992) as winners of the Melbourne Cup-Australian Cup double.
The Protectionist team would then travel back to Royal Randwick for the Championships and contest either the $2 million group 1 BMW Australian Derby (2400m) on April 4 or the $4 million group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) the next Saturday.
“There is a limit to what races he can go in,” Murrell said.
“It has a little bit to do with distance but the schedule doesn’t really suit staying-type horses either.
“Plus he is the highest-rated horse in Australia now so he can be outweighed from a lot of races.”
After the autumn carnival Protectionist will then re-set for another tilt at the Melbourne Cup later this year.
Joining Protectionist in the Australian Cup entries is three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux, the popular English stayer trained by Ed Dunlop.
Nominations were taken for three Flemington Group One races on Tuesday, with the Australian Cup attracting 69 and the Newmarket Handicap 57.
The Australian Guineas for three-year-olds on March 7, has 122 entries including Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win, Thousand Guineas winner Amicus and Sandown Guineas winner Petrology.
This year’s Australian Guineas is on the same day as the Group One Randwick Guineas in Sydney.
Group One Darley Classic winner Terravista and last year’s Newmarket winner Lankan Rupee were ranked equal best in the world for 2014 and are set to meet again in the Newmarket (1200m).
They have clashed twice with Lankan Rupee winning the Manikato Stakes in the spring at Moonee Valley before Terravista showed his class with victory in the Darley over the Newmarket course and distance.
Triple Group One winner Lankan Rupee finished third that day and splitting the pair was Chautauqua who was ranked third in the international standings.
Newmarket nominations also include Chautauqua’s stablemates Deep Field and Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, the latter one of 19 three-year-olds in the entries.
Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Brazen Beau and the Ken Keys-trained Rich Enuff are among the other three-year-olds nominated for the Newmarket.
Weights for the Newmarket will be released on March 3.
Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has 11 Australian Cup nominations including Victoria Derby winner Preferment who is also entered for the Australian Guineas.
Three-time Flemington Group One winner Happy Trails from the Paul Beshara stable has the Australian Cup as an autumn target.
Godolphin has six horses nominated for the Australian Cup including imports Contributer, It’s Somewhat and Hatnell.