Ethereal creates history in 2001 Melbourne Cup Victory

"Ethereal takes the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup Double!" In 2001, the 'Empress' of Pencarrow Stud, Ethereal became the 11th horse in it's 144 year history to achieve the infamous Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, a feat which is yet to be repeated to this day. Following behind the likes of fellow New Zealand bred horses such as Might And Power, Doriemus and Let's Elope. Broken-in and trained by Sheila Laxon, the success made her the first female trainer to achieve the Australian Cup double, and one of just three who have trained a Melbourne Cup winner. It wasn't her first brush with Melbourne Cup success having been the trackwork rider of 1988 winner Empire Rose. Sheila said of Ethereal; “She was terribly important to herself, and she did what she wanted to do. You just tagged along in an attempt to get what you wanted out of her. She was a huge personality.” This was seen in the post-race interview with Sheila's phone wrapped in rubber bands which had been broken by Ethereal in the birdcage prior to the Caulfield Cup. Again as Ethereal returned to the packed crowd, spooking and dropping jockey Scott Seamer. The victory was nearly 10 years to the day after Laxon had a crippling race fall that left her unconscious for eight days, placed in a mixed psychiatric ward, unable to communicate in any way. “Ethereal changed my life entirely,” Laxon said. Now retired to where she was bred, born and raised at Pencarrow Stud, she is well and truly living out the life she deserves as matriarch of their farm.