Protectionist out of Cup contention
MELBOURNE Cup winner Protectionist won’t defend his crown next month because of leg bruising.
And Nigel Blackiston’s six-year-old mare Let’s Make Adeal, who was guaranteed a Cup run after winning the Bart Cummings Stakes, is another casualty after pulling up lame from trackwork.
Luke Murrell, from Australian Bloodstock which syndicated and races Protectionist, said the stallion had struggled with the firm Australian tracks.
“He’s got a bone condition where his legs are bruising while they are still maturing. They’ll be right in the long term but they’ve just been aggravated by training on the hard surfaces,” he said.
Murrell said he at least had an explanation for Protectionist’s 15th in the Caulfield Cup last Saturday.
The horse’s trainer Kris Lees said a thorough veterinary examination revealed the soreness in Protectionist’s hind legs.
The stayer also pulled some muscles across his back.
“He won’t race again this spring and needs a six-month spell – it is very disappointing,’’ the Newcastle-based Lees said.
“He has severe bone bruising in his hind legs and that has caused him to pull muscles across his back.
“It’s like he is not built for our conditions because he is losing his action under pressure on hard tracks.
“I thought in the Caulfield Cup he was tracking into the race and about to do something, then lost his action. He is feeling a lot of pain, not in his joints but in his bones.’’
Protectionist was topweight with 58kg for the $6 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3.
Last spring, the former German stayer scored one of the most emphatic Melbourne Cup wins of the modern era when he romped home by four lengths from Red Cadeaux.
Blackiston said he was gutted by news Let’s Make Adeal had pulled up lame with a hole in her off-tendon.
He had spent three years trying to get the granddaughter of 1991 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope into the Melbourne Cup and had succeeded.
Blackiston had planned to give her a final lead-up in the Moonee Valley Cup tomorrow. He said Let’s Make Adeal would be retired as she would need a year to recover from the injury.
In other Cup news, Geelong Cup winner Almoonqith has been penalised 1kg for Wednesday’s win.
He has 53kg and is No.27 in order of entry.