FEATURE
KINGSTON RULE 1990
MEDIA PUZZLE 2002
PROTECTIONIST 2014
Kingston Rule won in the Metal Horse year. He shone. In the era before top stallions regularly shuttled between the northern and southern hemisphere breeding seasons, owner David Hains had sent his champion mare Rose of Kingston (winner of the VRC Oaks and AJC Derby) to the USA to be mated with 1973 Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat, a turf legend. Kingston Rule was the result. This handsome chestnut stallion was lightly raced with four wins and six minor placings in just 18 career starts. He won the Moonee Valley Cup ahead of his Melbourne Cup triumph. Ridden by Darren Beadman, he set a race record, 3:16.30, which has stood for an astonishing 36 years. Could it be broken in this, the current Year of the Horse? By the bye, Kingston Rule was trained by Bart Cummings – the eighth of his twelve Melbourne Cup wins.
Tears were shed in 2002 when Damien Oliver, just days after the death of his brother Jason in a racing accident in Perth, piloted Media Puzzle to Melbourne Cup victory. Eyes were on the jockey, and on Irish trainer, Dermot Weld. But what of the horse who came from across the seas to make it all possible? His immediate pathway to victory was via success in the Geelong Cup. The earlier part of his career had included modest Irish wins early, and a fourth in the Group 1 St Leger in York. By the time he reached Australia there had been long breaks in the spelling paddocks, and a succession of dismal runs, but he had shown enough promise in training to warrant the trip. At the end, his career tally was six wins, including his two in Australia. There is one link with the previous Year of the Horse winner: Media Puzzle’s time in 2002 was second only to that of Kingston Rule.
Nothing wooden about this horse. His winning time was the best since Media Puzzle and Kingston Rule. He was the first Cup winner bred and trained in Germany, prepared by illustrious horseman Andreas Wöhler. Raced sparingly, he had scored four wins from his first eight starts – seven in Germany, one in France in the venerable 3000 metres Group 2 Prix Kergolay in Deauville. As part owner with breeder Dr Christoph Bergler, Protectionist reached Melbourne in September 2014. He ran fourth in the Herbert Power at Caulfield and stormed home to win the Melbourne Cup. Ryan Moore, the British champion jockey, travelled here specially for the race. Protectionist then stayed in Australia with a new stable but repeatedly failed to reproduce his best. Returning to Germany in 2016 he came good again, capping his career with three successive wins including the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin.
WHO WILL BURN BRIGHTEST IN 2026? Fast times, slow times. Short names, long names. Different births, different eras. Nimblefoot (1870), The Assyrian (1882), Patron (1894), Poseidon (1906), Night Watch (1918), Phar Lap (1930), Colonus (1942), Wodalla (1954) — no formula links them, only greatness. So who wins the 2026 Lexus Melbourne Cup in this, the Year of the Fire Horse? History won't tell you. You'll have to watch the race.
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