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Strong Field for NZB Ethereal Stakes

Media Release - Thursday October 19

A quality field of three-year-old fillies will put their prospects for next month's Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) to the test on Saturday when they run in a race which carries special significance for its sponsors, the A$150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.

Ethereal(NZ) (Rhythm) was bred and raced by New Zealand Bloodstock principal Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Phillip. She won eight races including the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, BMW and Queensland Oaks. She won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 2001, the last horse to win both races in the same year.

The Ethereal Stakes was established in 2010, and its honour roll includes the subsequent Oaks winnerSet Square(Reset).

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Last year's race had a fitting winner in the form of the classy New Zealand fillyEleonora(NZ) (Makfi), whose dam Sopra Tutto(NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) is a daughter of Ethereal.

The Ethereal Stakes will be run as Race 3 on Saturday's Caulfield Cup day programme with a start time of 1:25pm (3:25pm NZT).

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