Caulfield Cup day always brings back memories of the outstanding 2001 win by the champion Pencarrow mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), and that was especially the case this year – 15 years on from her win in the A$3 million feature.

There is now a 2000-metre three-year-old fillies’ race on Caulfield Cup day named in the mighty mare’s honour, and the 2016 Ethereal Stakes had a fitting winner. Ethereal’s granddaughterEleonora (NZ) (Makfi) produced a strong finish from midfield to win by a length and a quarter.

“To win the Ethereal Stakes, named after her granddam, it's a pretty special moment,” said Eleonora’s co-trainer Andrew Forsman.

Eleonora is out of Ethereal’s unraced daughter Sopra Tutto (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy). Now the winner of two of her seven starts and placed in four of the other five, Eleonora is being aimed at the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

Another of Ethereal’s offspring is Imperium (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), who scored the third win of his 14-start career when he won the $20,000 Premier Equine Vets (2100m) on the same day at Ashburton. He holds a nomination for next month’s Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m).

Eleonora was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd, while Sir Peter and Philip Vela bred Imperium.

Ethereal is the dam of five winners from seven foals to race, the best-performed being Uberalles(NZ) (Giant’s Causeway) who placed in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Group 2 Great Northern Guineas.