Oh deer: How a rogue deer delivered Protectionist the 2014 Melbourne Cup

If it wasn’t for a rogue deer at German maestro Andreas Wohler’s training facility, Protectionist would likely never have made it down under to win the 2014 Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne Cup has had its share of colourful tales, but never before has a rogue deer played a role in a Cup winner’s preparation like it did for Protectionist in 2014.

Protectionist was at the beginning of the international wave in the famous race, with Jamie Lovett’s Australian Bloodstock keen to tap into a different pool of horses in their pursuit of the Cup.

Lovett and business partner Luke Murrell landed on Germany as a potential breeding ground for battle hardened horses to bring to Australia and had identified Andreas Wohler’s Protectionist as one that fits the bill.

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The problem they faced was connections weren’t keen on selling him as he was a hot favourite for the upcoming German Derby.

In a sliding doors moment, Protectionist had to miss the race after an incident with a deer at Wohler’s picturesque training facility, which could have been the catalyst that set him on Cup glory instead.

Jamie Lovett was instrumental in buying Protectionist. Picture: Mark Metcalfe—Getty Images.

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“It was a unique story because we were trying to buy him for ages,” Lovett said.

“He was favourite for the Derby in Germany ironically and we were trying to buy him.

“Andreas has this beautiful property in the middle of the bush and a deer ran onto the track and gave him a stifle injury, which kept him out of the Derby.

“It actually played into our favour, he wouldn’t have been for sale at all if he came out and bolted up in the Derby like they were expecting him to.

“Now I know Andreas very well, he was gutted at the time, so I always joke with him now and we probably wouldn’t have the relationship we have now if it hadn’t have happened.

“Had he not had the deer run across the track that day, I think he probably trots up in the Derby and then he isn’t buyable.”

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Bred and owned by renowned German racing identity Christoph Berglar, Protectionist flew to Australia as an unknown to punters, but Lovett always had full faith in Wohler.

“Andreas Wohler didn’t need any introduction, it was around that time he had won the King George (at Royal Ascot) with Novellist,” Lovett said.

“You’d think we were trying to buy a spaceship at NASA when you saw the contract we got sent through to buy the horse.

“In the end we convinced them to sell some of the horse and do the trip to Melbourne, which Andreas was big on.

“Christoph brought his entourage down to Melbourne and it was terrific.

“Back then the Herbert Power was the traditional lead up race, I remember backing him at $26 (for the Melbourne Cup) the night before that race and he started $8 in the Cup and the rest is history.”

Protectionist delivered Ryan Moore’s first Melbourne Cup. Picture: Scott Barbour—Getty Images.

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While Protectionist was far from the first international to come out from Europe and win the Melbourne Cup, he could have opened the eyes for Australian owners pillaging stayers from overseas to bring Down Under.

“There were plenty doing it before us, you look at Lloyd (Williams) and the success he had and then there was David Hayes bringing the Shadwell horses over,” Lovett said.

“Lucas Cranach was one of the first ones we got, we tipped our toe in at Germany and it strengthened our resolve a bit that it was the right pool of horses as far as form goes.

“There was Dunaden and Americain before us, there were plenty dipping their toe in the water knowing that if you got them here and they brought their European form, they were going to be in the finish.

“I guess Protectionist really opened the floodgates for these internationals, I remember going out to Werribee and there’d be 20-odd horses there, it has shut back up since then.”

It wasn’t long before the Australian Bloodstock silks were back in the winners enclosure at Flemington, with Gold Trip dashing away to victory in 2022.

Originally published as Oh deer: How a rogue deer delivered Protectionist the 2014 Melbourne Cup