Many illustrious broodmares grace the lush breeding paddocks at Peter and Philip Vela’s Pencarrow Stud property between Cambridge and Hamilton. Indeed they have a truly international broodmare band. One of them is Ethereal who captured the hearts of racegoers around the world as she became known as the Queen of the Turf at the 2001 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival.

Ethereal achieved a rare feat of capturing the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double in 2001. Her Melbourne Cup success was achieved against a truly international field of stayers. Winning the Melbourne Cup put her in an elite group of mares to have won the race that stops two nations (Australia and New Zealand) . Ethereal also won the BMW Stakes in Sydney and the Queensland Oaks in Brisbane and completed her racing career with stake earnings of more than $6 million.

She was retired to stud at the end of her fine racing career.

Statistics

1997 bay mare

Rhythm-Romanee Conti by Sir Tristram

Breeders: Peter and Philip Vela

Owners: Peter and Philip Vela

Trainer: Sheila Laxon (New Zealand)

Race Record: 21 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 3 thirds

Prize Money: NZ$6,031,189

Group I wins: Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, The BMW, Queensland Oaks