Where are they now? Ethereal still thriving at 28

Ever wonder what happened to your favourite horses and humans in racing, post-retirement? Racing.com has introduced a series titled ‘Where Are They Now?’, where journalist Trent Masenhelder catches up with industry participants from yesteryear. The series will showcase former jockeys and trainers, and we’ll find out where some of the stars of the turf are now...

It was during this first week of June back in 2001 when a three-year-old filly by the American stallion Rhythm from the Group 2-winning Sir Tristram mare Romanee Conti announced herself as a topline stayer with a narrow victory in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm.

That filly was Ethereal – a homebred for Sir Peter Vela and his now-deceased brother Philip.

Twenty-five years later, Ethereal is still alive and well.

Now 28, Ethereal has returned home to where she was born and raised – at Pencarrow Stud, which is situated in the lush countryside of the Waikato region of New Zealand.

“She’s in good health and looks extremely good for her age,” Leon Casey, stud manager at Pencarrow Stud, told Racing.com.

“She lives a very good life; she’s rugged and fed and just relaxing in happy retirement.

“She’s got a mate with her who is about the same vintage and they’ve been together in that paddock for quite a few years now. She also has a lot of her family around her.

“It’s quite remarkable, she hasn’t had any major health challenges throughout her life. Her health really couldn’t be better than it is, considering her age.”

Trained by Sheila Laxon, Ethereal debuted in a 1200-metre Taupo maiden in August 2000.

She shed her maiden tag at the fifth time of asking, saluting over 1300 metres at Pukekohe in February 2001. That was the first of three wins on the bounce ahead of a winter campaign in Brisbane.

Ethereal had her first start in Australia in the Listed The Roses (2020m) at Doomben in late May 2001 and scored by one length under Scott Seamer as a $13 chance.

Despite her triumph across the road in in the key lead-up to the Queensland Oaks, the bay filly started at $9 in the Group 1 Classic, with Gai Waterhouse’s Tempest Morn sent out a $6 favourite.

Again with Seamer in the saddle, Ethereal settled a long way back. She was 10th at the 400m, and victory seemed incredibly unlikely when Ethereal still had six ahead of her with just 100 metres remaining. But the Kiwi filly displayed a great will to win and a wicked turn of foot to finish over the top of her rivals, touching off Tempest Morn right on the line.

“And look at this, Ethereal from the tail of the field, by golly. Ethereal has come from nowhere,” racecaller Alan Thomas said at the time.

As Casey explained, Ethereal’s Group 1 success was quite remarkable under the circumstances.

“She actually pulled a plate in the run and she came from an impossible position,” Casey said.

“The commentator only picked her up in the last couple of strides. She was so far back but came home so quickly.

“It was outstanding, really.

“To win The Roses… we were delighted with that as we had a Group-winning, well-bred filly who was going to be a great broodmare, but to go on and win an Oaks, it took it to a different stratosphere. It really was a breakthrough victory for her.”

A MARVELLOUS MARE

Following her top-flight win, Ethereal returned home for a well-earned break.

She resumed as a four-year-old mare in New Zealand, contesting a couple of races over unsuitably short trips (1400m and 1600m).

Ethereal came to Melbourne for a spring campaign which commenced in a hot G1 Yalumba Stakes which featured Northerly, Shogun Lodge, Hill Of Grace and Native Jazz. A $17 chance, she finished third, less than two lengths behind the winner, Northerly. That run had her primed for a tilt at the G1 Caulfield Cup over 2400 metres. Punters liked her chances and sent her out as an $8 equal favourite with Inaflury. Again ridden cold by Seamer, Ethereal cleared out to fight out the finish with Sky Heights and Celestial Show, and it was the Kiwi mare that outstayed her rivals.

That performance saw her go to the post in the G1 Melbourne Cup as a $10 hope. With 200 metres to go, Ethereal had just one horse run down, that being the international, Give The Slip. Seamer asked his mare for the supreme effort and the superstar responded, going on to win Australia’s greatest race by close to a length.

“She was a life-changing horse, really,” said Casey, who foaled both Ethereal and Romanee Conti.

“Yeah, she was one out of the box and a real horse of a lifetime.

“She raced over a mile-and-a-half or beyond four times in her career, all at Group 1 level, and won all of them.

“Sir Peter Vela has always had a real soft spot for her.”

MAKING HER MARK AS A MUM

After adding the 2002 G1 The BMW to her glittering CV, Ethereal was retired in the autumn of 2023. She bowed out with eight wins and four placings from 21 starts and earnings of $4.7 million.

As a broodmare, six of Ethereal’s seven foals to race were successful, including the Listed victress Seraphim and Group performers Uberalles, Duquesa and Imperium.

“She had quite a few foals, she had very well,” Casey commented.

“Her last filly was born in 2014. That was a filly by O’Reilly named Empyrean and she herself has left the stakes winner Pericles.

“We raced a filly this year called Tomodachi, who is Ethereal’s great granddaughter, and she is a Group 3 winner and three-time Group 1 placegetter.”