John and Sheila are very sorry to hear the sad news of the passing of Philip Vela on the weekend.
Philip was an incredible personality with a great sense of humour, and he was a powerhouse of the racehorse industry in New Zealand.
Philip, and his brother Sir Peter, were significant contributors to Sheila’s success, most importantly in the breeding and racing of champion stayer, Ethereal.
He is a huge loss to those close to him, and our thoughts are with them at this very sad time.