It was fitting Melbourne Cup day win for Mark Walker-trained two-year-old Aetherius at Tuesday's Otago Racing Club meeting at Wingatui.

After all the regally-bred colt's dam is none other than the 2001 Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal.

And like Ethereal, Aetherius was bred by Pencarrow Stud's Peter and Philip Vela.

Having finished fourth on debut, Aetherius made no mistake in his second race-day appearance albeit scoring by only a half-head in the hands of Jamie Bullard.

Aetherius had been successful in his only trial at Taupo on August 21. He is raced by the Te Akau Breeding (No. 5) Syndicate managed by David Ellis who purchased him at the 2007 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale at Karaka for $1.3 million.

Ethereal not only won the Melbourne Cup in 2001 but she also won the Caulfield Cup that same year and is the last horse to complete the famous Cups double.

This year Ethereal produced a bay filly by Stravinsky which was her fifth foal.

Her first foal, a filly by Giant's Causeway named Uberalles, finished third in the G2 Great Northern Guineas and the G1 New Zealand Derby last season.

Her three-year-old filly by the Storm Cat stallion Van Nistelrooy is named Sopra Tutto and has been retained by Pencarrow Stud to race.

She will present a yearling colt by Stravinsky at the Karaka sales in 2008.

Ethereal will be mated this year to Waikato Stud's boom stallion Pins.