MELBOURNE CUP
25 YEARS AGO 2001 ETHEREAL
WORDS JOE MCGRATH
Ethereal launched New Zealand trainer, Sheila Laxon ONZM, onto an international platform. Laxon was a trailblazer, becoming the first woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner. She proved this was no fluke when, in 2024, she returned with partner John Symons to train 90/1 shot Knightâs Choice to another Cup victory. By winning the prestigious two-mile handicap, Ethereal became only the 11th horse to complete the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double. For jockey Scott Seamer, a macadamia farmer, it was his first Melbourne Cup ride and he secured the ultimate victory on his first attempt. Laxon prepared Ethereal with unorthodox tactics, including rounding up sheep in the hills outside of Cambridge before the carnival. Ethereal was rarely galloped during the Spring of 2001, with most work being slow to maintain fitness. This achievement was particularly fitting for Laxon, who had worked alongside her former husband and trainer, Laurie Laxon, who trained Empire Rose to win the 1988 Melbourne Cup.
Fancy a Gallop? | 77
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