Australian Bloodstock Scouting Protectionists

BADEN-BADEN, Germany—The beautiful spa town of Baden-Baden is celebrating its 'Grosse Woche' of racing, sales and music, and for many of the European agents and trainers it has also been a big week, with the yearling action jumping straight from Doncaster to Germany.

But it's not just a European contingent gathered for BBAG's major yearling sale. In town primarily to see the first yearlings of their Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Ger) is the Australian Bloodstock team, headed by Jamie Lovett. An eight-time winner in Germany, France and Australia, the 9-year-old stallion has nine members of his first crop catalogued, including two from his home farm Gestut Rottgen, which has been champion owner and breeder in Germany in the previous two seasons. During that time Rottgen pulled off the feat of winning consecutive Deutsches Derbys with the half-brothers Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) and Weltstar (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), and a member of that family, catalogued as lot 172 and already named Well Known (Ger), is one of two Protectionist fillies in the draft. She is the second foal of her listed-winning dam Weichsel (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), who is a half-sister to Wellenspiel (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ger}), the celebrated mare who delivered Rottgen's recent Derby winners as her first two foals.

In recent years, the Australian Bloodstock operation has extended its pursuit of European bloodlines from buying proven horses in training to dipping a toe in the yearling market through its European representative Ronald Rauscher.

“I've bought here before but it's the first time I've been on the complex,” said Jamie Lovett on Thursday morning. “Obviously we're particularly interested in Protectionist so I was keen to see his yearlings and I'm certain after looking at the ones that are here that he will be well received. There are some particularly lovely fillies from good families. Rottgen has supported him and all credit to them as he came on to the market with a €6,000 service fee and they have supported him with mares that could have gone to any stallion.”

It is becoming increasingly difficult to start a stayer at a Flat-orientated stud in Britain or Ireland, and with several recent fellow Melbourne Cup winners already being tried at stud in the southern hemisphere, the decision of the owners to stand Protectionist in his home nation, where his late sire Monsun (Ger) was so revered, was an enterprising one.

Lovett continued, “We bought half a dozen mares to send to him. The plan is to race them in Australia but Andreas Wohler may get them going in Germany first so we can see what we've got. One of the first things that appealed to us when we got into the horse was that his sectionals were so good. He wasn't a typical dour two-miler, he was a very good horse early on and was favourite for the Derby before he got hurt. Looking at his yearlings, there are a couple there that could get up and go. I won't be surprised if he gets some 2-year-olds.”

While the wait continues to see what Protectionist can do with his first runners, Australian Bloodstock's investment in Europe continues to be rewarded. Several weeks ago Cox Plate contender Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) won a Group 1 contest in Munich, while last weekend Mustajeer (GB) (Medicean {GB}) confirmed his credentials for a cups campaign with victory in the first £1 million Sky Bet Ebor H. for Ger Lyons.

“I'm really looking forward to getting Danceteria down to the Cox Plate. He's a horse who in our opinion will be right in any race—he's shown he's a genuine Group 1 horse,” commented Lovett.

“Mustajeer has gone home to Ireland for now and we tried to talk Ger into bringing the horse but he had no interest in travelling to Australia—when we did the deal we left it open for him. The horse races in partnership with owner David Spratt, so he will come out [to Australia] and we'll see how he settles in with Kris Lees. The plan will be to run him in the Caulfield Cup—there are five million reasons to do so.

“We've always invested in Europe and we've sourced tried horses that we think will suit our staying races, but in the last five years we have had some yearlings come through and Andreas has got them going. We now have some in the UK with David Simcock, plus I'd like to buy some yearlings for David Menuisier. Obviously we can only get to a certain level here as it's just not commercially viable with the prize-money. Really we are buying them and hoping that they will put their hand up to come to Australia.”

It's not only Protectionist with his first yearlings on offer at Baden-Baden. The Darley duo of Belardo (Ire) and Bow Creek (Ire) feature along with the Aga Khan Studs' Dariyan (Fr) and Harzand (Ire) and a trio of German-based freshmen in Guiliani (Ger), Isfahan (Ger) and Lucky Lion (Ger).

One peculiarity of the catalogue is the sole northern hemisphere yearling by Gestut Fahrhof's G3 Bavarian Classic winner Quasillo (Ger). His daughter catalogued at lot 27 was the result of a test mating with the Lomitas (GB) mare Suzanita (Ire) to ensure the stallion's fertility ahead of his export to stand at sister South African stud Maine Chance Farms. The son of Sea The Stars (Ire) had been favourite for the Deutsches Derby before a hairline fracture brought his racing career to a premature end.

Kingman (GB) continues to notch stakes winners and his popularity at the sales was evident when one of his yearling sons set a new Goffs UK Premier Sale record of £440,000 on Tuesday. He too has just one representative at BBAG—another from the Gestut Rottgen draft (lot 174). The first foal of treble listed winner and Group 2-placed Weltmacht (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) is from one the farm's well established families and has the Group 2 winner and multiple black-type producer Wild Side (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ger}) as his grandam.

Two yearlings shared top billing at BBAG last August at €280,000, one of which was Miss Yoda (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a recent impressive winner on debut for John Gosden and owner Westerberg. Out of the Sholokhov (Ire) mare Monami (Ger), her half-brother is offered by breeder Gestut Etzean as lot 145. The colt is by one of Etzean's resident stallions, Amaron (GB), whose first yearlings were well received at last year's sale. They included a filly who is now named Wild Run (Ger) and who also found her way to John Gosden's stable after being bought by Meridian International and Tweenhills at €160,000, and she brought another boost to the Etzean team when winning a novice race at Kempton on Wednesday evening.

Figures at BBAG took a bit of a tumble last year when turnover dropped to just over €6 million, having been closer to the €8 million mark in the previous two years. A catalogue pruned in size by more than 50 lots, plus 25 withdrawals at the time of writing, means that roughly 200 horses will go through the ring from 10am on Friday.