Australian Bloodstock Stable's 2014 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), the winner of his two outings this year since returning to the care of trainer Andreas Wohler in Germany, is set to return to Group 1 company for his next outing in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Aug. 14.
Protectionist won the Melbourne Cup for Wohler but was subsequently transferred to local trainer Kris Lees to continue his career Down Under after the Melbourne Cup. The now-6-year-old entire, however, didn't thrive under the Australian conditions, failing to hit the board in eight subsequent starts in that country. Protectionist won a Dusseldorf conditions race for Wohler May 6 and added Sunday's G2 Grosser Hansa-Preis July 3.
“I am happy to see him progress and that he is doing well,” said Wohler. “He won a conditions race four weeks ago, then the Group 2 and I think that his next run if everything goes right will be in a Group 1 in Berlin in the middle of August–the Grosser Preis von Berlin.”
Racing Victoria officials have made no secret of their hopes of seeing Protectionist return Down Under for this year's Melbourne Cup, but Wohler said he is not looking that far ahead.
“We will take it race by race and do what is in the best interests of the horse,” he said. “When he came back to Europe we had that agreement with Australian Bloodstock.”
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