In only his tenth start German‑bred Protectionist has claimed his first victory in the Melbourne Cup.
The win in front of around 100,000 punters at Flemington sealed the first ever cup first for Germany.
Protectionist's superstar sire also gave us last year's Melbourne cup winner, Fiorente.
It was a close race until about 150m out when the five‑year‑old out‑sprinted the rest of the field coming home around five metres clear of second place Red Cadeaux.
Red Cadeaux finished runner‑up for a third time in four starts in the Melbourne Cup.
New Zealand hopeful Who Shot Thebarman came in third.
In the 21st century, only 4 races out of 14 have been won by international horses.
Race favourite Admire Rakti was the first horse to pull up and finished last.
Protectionist takes home 3.6 million Australian dollars.
Meanwhile, the 2014 Melbourne Cup has taken a tragic turn with pre-race favourite Admire Rakti dying after the race.
After surprisingly finishing in last position, the Japanese raider reportedly collapsed and died not long after.
