Overnight at Maisons Laffitte, Vela broke his maiden at his third career start under the care of leading French trainer Andre Fabre.
Vela jumped well from the barriers in the 1400m contest, finding himself in the lead. Jockey Hugo Besnier took control of the race and allowed Vela to relax and switch off during the middle stages before working through his gears. They found the line strongly, digging deep in the final strides to win.
By the sire ‘Pedro the Great’, Vela was purchased as a yearling by OTI on the recommendation of Fabre. With bright prospects, he was subsequently named after Sir Peter Vela.
Peter Vela, a leader of the New Zealand thoroughbred industry for over 40 years, received the ultimate acknowledgement for his services to racing and breeding with a knighthood in 2013. Now, he also has a winning racehorse named in his honour!
View Vela’s race win replay below:
